#impressie

[twafordizzy]

Haasse: 'Reizen, het ik, het wij verplaatsen in vreemde werelden'

Hella Haasse, eind jaren 40; bron beeld: literatuurmuseum.nl Hella Haasse (1918-2011) reisde met haar man in de zomer van 1952 door Italië. Haar liefde voor Italië en de Italiaanse cultuur krijgen een prominente plek in Kleine reismozaïek waarin ze over de Renaissance en enkele beroemde Italianen schrijft. Voorafgaand aan die impressies gaat een stelling over wat reizen is in de ogen van de…

[kacievvbbbb]

Rewatching Gumball is knowing that while there is no actual real overarching plot the episodes are still so amazingly interconnected.

I love how they do foreshadowing, how they build on little moments that we see through out other episodes. It's Banana joe's mom's future paintings being a small joke in "The Shell". Rob being in the deleted place with all the forgotten things in "The Void" after we see that Gumball and Darwin have a hard time remembering him and then completely forget him once Darwin kicks him into the sewers a whole season earlier in "The Pony". He then literally still has parts of the void ingrained in his design when he comes back. It's the fact that Penny and her family being hollow shells with something inside was being played as haunting jokes for episodes before the one based entirely around it. It's the fact that characters like Sarah have always been a little fourth wall breaky and so an episode like "The Fan Fiction" is so completely in line with her character that it's unremarkable in context, hell there's an episode where she sings the ending song to end the show and avoid an awkward conversation her being able to take some control of the show feels like the natural evolution of that.

The background characters in gumball have such distinct personalities that have been pretty consistent and built upon since season 2 which is completely insane and unprecedented for an episodic 2010 children's cartoon. The show might not have had an arc but it has always been continuous.

You do really get the sense that this is a world where everyone is very hyper-aware of the rules in which they operate. The show might reset at the end of the episode but the people don't

[koalas-koalas-everywhere]

ASGHGDASGAHALKHKJFDJGHAFDSD

OK SO

I was thinking about the New Rome University and about how a lot of people who are against P & A going there don't seem to get that it's the only place 1) where demigods have been shown to survive to adulthood and 2) ready to accommodate to their needs, both learning (dyslexia + add) and godly, because who'd better understand that, when the god with a missing giraffe who's going to stomp the world to death says you gotta go, you gotta go, than other demigods right?

Then I thought, no, because the gods don't appear to Romans as often as they do to the Greeks, so they wouldn't understand, per se, but they would be starstruck, like okay *bows* okay *bows* okay *bows* okay *bows* oka

Which THEN got me thinking. How on earth can getting into NRU require letters of recommendation from gods when they never appear to Romans? A goof from RR.

But it makes sense for them to require the letter, because NR is all about nepotism. Maybe others were asked to provide reference letters from respected officials, like praetors, former or current, centurions, the like. And they just asked Percy to get them from gods because that's just the level that he's working at. They're like "well, you set the bar this high, now you've gotta jump it."

But, okay, maybe the letters from gods thing could still work. Maybe they pray for them. Like, they go into their parent's temples and ask and, if the letter appears, it's a sign that the kids are favoured enough by the gods. If they're legacies, it would be less likely that they'd be given a letter, since there's more distance, but it increases the chances that they can pray to more than one god, if they're descended from more than one.

This, of course, still leaves them short of letters. So, they might be able to go to more than one temple and pray to gods that they feel are their patrons. Like, maybe a demigod is a child of Venus, but they're good at archery so they go to Apollo's temple and ask for his patronage, which he might grant depending on their skill. A thing to take into account here is that, by accepting patronage, the demigods are pretty much swearing themselves into their service. By which I mean, they're committing to take a major in whatever it is that got them the letter, or at least something related to the god in question. So, you get into New Rome! With a 1-3 majors! Wee!

There's also the other nepo version of this, which is asking your friends/connections to pray for your to their godly parents/relatives. It showcases your political power rather than your skill, but, hey, sometimes that's all you've got. And it's still easier than a visual arts-welding-international relations major combo.

And all of this, of course, is something that no one told Percy and co.

[saint-lajka]

also I think I owe kady grant a formal apology she may have been annoying, and stupid and a bit of a twit but she is a little fucking Angel compared to hanna donnelly.

[art-vortex]

(via Coussin avec l'œuvre « "Vibrations Colorées" » de l'artiste Art-Vortex-fr)

[erikvelema]

Vrijheid!

[pathologicalreid]

buried alive | S.R.

in which the BAU races against the clock to rescue you from a killer team

who? spencer reid x fem!BAU!reader

category: angsty

content warnings: kidnapping, case stuff (murder yk), suffocation, being buried alive, hospitals, blood, nausea, CPR, funerals, use of pet names, guns, and drugs. i think that's all.

word count: 2.9k

a/n: okay, so i've been reading so much spencer fanfic and i started writing it and yesterday i realized i have 20 fics written and they're doing no one any good just sitting on my computer. i decided to finally try posting one. i wrote fanfic in high school (so like seven years ago) but this is my first time writing for a TV show. i've also never really posted on tumblr so please bear with me while i try to figure out formatting. tysm for checking out my post.

part two part three

You walked into the conference room and dropped the file on the table, allowing it to land on the wood with a satisfying splat. “The unsub’s burying them alive,” you said, letting the rest of the team know the conclusion you had come to with the medical examiner. “The M.E. found metal shavings and satin threads under the nails of our last victim. The most common materials to make up a casket.”

“There’s no way someone could bury someone alive in a casket alone, we’ve got to be dealing with a team, at least three people,” Emily concluded, standing in front of the evidence board.

It was the team’s third day on a case in Nebraska, four women had been discovered dead. Asphyxiation by hypoxia. Carbon dioxide poisoning.

“Approximately 420 people in the United States die from accidental carbon dioxide poisoning every year,” Spencer said, grabbing the file off of the table and flipping through it, taking a few seconds to read through it.

Rossi looked over Reid’s shoulder to look at the file, “but there’s nothing accidental about these deaths. Who would have access to these caskets?”

You shook your head, placing a hand on the back of Spencer’s chair, “A funeral director seems most likely.” You looked around at the Omaha field office, different agents running about in an attempt to solve these very murders. “They’d have the most access, write it off as displays. It could be hard to match the materials since they’re so common.”

Hotch leaned over the table and pressed the conference phone, “What can I do you for?” Garcia’s bright voice rang through the speaker.

“Garcia, I need you to look into funeral homes within the comfort zone. Look for a director who’s ordered more caskets than they’ve had funerals. Find anything, nothing is too small.” He told her.

“Absolutely, I’ll hit you back when I’ve got something,” she said, hanging up the phone.

There ended up being four funeral homes in the unsub’s comfort zone, so the team split up. You went with two locals to a family-owned business, Garcia had sent you all of the files you’d need on the location. “It looks like the Varn family has been in the funeral business since the seventeenth century,” you read aloud to the two agents you were in the car with.

“Does it mean they’re more or less likely to be the killers if they’ve been in business for so long?” One of the agents asked you, a younger man named Harrison.

You pursed your lips as you continued to look over the files, “I’m not seeing any glaringly obvious stressors before the murders started, but over the years I’ve learned that’s no reason to write someone off. Psychopaths can be tipped off by the slightest thing. Things none of us would bat an eye at.”

Harrison nodded in the passenger seat, looking over to his partner Jimmy, “You and your guy sure do make an interesting pair.”

“I’m going to take that as a compliment, so thank you.” You and Spencer never explicitly stated to the field office that you were dating, but you walked into the precinct this morning holding hands. The agents must have drawn their own conclusions.

The younger officer cleared his throat, “It is a compliment, ma’am. The two of you are very impressive, your whole team is.”

You smiled, “Thank you, Harrison.”

The funeral home was run by a mother and her two sons, you held up your credentials for the mother when you knocked on the door. “Are you Sheila Varn?” You asked her, raising your eyebrows.

“Yes, what’s this about?” She inquired. She didn’t really look the part of a serial killer, a middle-aged woman who was running her family business.

Pocketing your credentials, you spoke, “We’re investigating the recent murders in the area and we were wondering if you had samples of the materials your caskets are made out of. Might we be able to come in?” You asked, adding a charming smile for effect.

Something flashed across her face before she returned your smile, opening the door and welcoming the three of you inside. “Hold on, let me get my boys up here. They’re so much more versed in the goings on of the town than I am,” she said, opening the door and calling for her sons. Felix and Joss came up the stairs from the basement, now they definitely had the physique to load dead women into caskets and bury them alive.

“Why don’t you two men come with me? I’ll get you those samples,” Sheila said, motioning for the agents you were with to follow her. To your horror, they followed her around the corner. “Felix, Joss, show this young lady what you know,” she instructed.

You took a deep breath before you looked up at the two men.

They were tall, maybe Spencer’s height, but they were built like wrestlers. There was no way you could physically subdue them on your own.

You passed out before you even had the chance to pull your gun.

Hotch was in full Unit Chief mode, Spencer watched from the corner of the room as he separated people into groups and gave them specific instructions. JJ and Morgan walked into the precinct, “What’s going on?” JJ asked looking around the room.

“The Varn Family is the team; two agents were found drugged on the side of the road and when we went to the funeral home Y/N was missing. Her badge, gun, and phone were all there, covered in blood,” Spencer said morosely, watching as Hotch finished giving orders and called the rest of the team over.

Your picture was up on the evidence board with the word “missing” written in bold letters beneath it. All of your belongings had been put into evidence for the time being. “Reid?” Hotch said his name, causing his head to snap up. “Are you okay to keep working?”

Spencer nodded affirmatively, “Yes.”

“Good, I need you to estimate how much time we have, I want a clock on these screens,” he ordered.

Morgan turned to Reid, “What do you think she has, kid?”

“The tidal volume for the average adult is point five at rest. That ends up being about six liters per minute. The average casket is approximately 886 liters in total volume and the average volume of the human body is 66 liters, leaving 820 liters to be filled with air for her to breathe. If she’s been gone for half an hour already, I’d estimate she has less than five hours of breathable air left.” Spencer explained, doing all of the math in his head while Emily put a timer on the screen next to the evidence board.

After a moment, Hotch continued, “Rossi, JJ, go back to the funeral home. Tear it apart, there has to be something there we haven’t found yet. The rest of us will split the list of cemeteries in the comfort zone and search them.”

“That’s a lot of ground to cover, we don’t have anything else to go on?” Morgan asked, looking at the list of burial sites he had been handed.

Hotch looked at Spencer, but Spencer stayed silent. “That’s all we have right now,” Hotch responded, “hopefully we’ll come across leads as we go.”

It smelled like a garden around you. The memory reminded you of spring with your mother, tending to the vegetable garden.

The only difference was that instead of the sun beaming down on you, it was pitch black. The space surrounding you was so dark that you weren’t totally sure your eyes were open.

Your head was throbbing just above your right temple, and you observed your surroundings. Slowly, you lifted your arm until it hit a ceiling.

Not a ceiling. A lid. You were in a casket. You pressed one hand to your chest and tried to slow your breathing. Chances were that the casket was already buried beneath the surface of the earth, trying to open it could be catastrophic. You patted the pockets of your jeans, only to find your phone missing, so the team wouldn’t be able to trace the location.

Even if you had it, there likely wouldn’t be service six feet under.

Your team would find you. They had to find you.

They found Spencer, they found Emily, and they would find you.

Spencer shifted in the passenger seat of the SUV, “You know, carbon dioxide poisoning is a rather peaceful way to die.”

“Reid,” Morgan said, turning the vehicle onto the main road, they had just finished scouring over another cemetery with still no sign of you.

He sighed and stared at his hands, “No, it’s good. We see so many people killed in so many different ways that it’s good that she won’t be in pain when she runs out of air.” He tried to convince himself.

Morgan cleared his throat, “We aren’t out of time yet, kid. We can still find her. Y/N’s smart, I’m sure she found a way to make more air or something.”

But they were running out of time, less than an hour remained on the timer set on all of their phones.

They pulled into the next cemetery, “There’s some fresh dirt over there, what are the names on the graves of people who were actually recently buried?”

Spencer starts to recite the names, and the two of them start to comb through the cemetery.

You had done enough research on this case to understand what was going on. The light-headed feeling had started not long ago, but now you felt like you were spinning, despite the knowledge that you were stuck in place.

It was a high. Not unlike the good kids high. Except instead of trying to chase a feeling, you were dying.

The timer went off when they were still scouring graves, shovels in hand. Derek stopped in his tracks, but Spencer kept going.

“Wait,” Spencer called out, reading the name on the card next to the fresh grave he was standing at, he moved to start digging. “Essie Dunbar was a thirty-year-old woman who was mistakenly buried alive in 1915,” he said, digging. “This has to be it.”

Derek called Hotch, putting the call on speakerphone so he could help Spencer dig. “Hotch, we got her, but she’s buried.”

“We’re on our way, Omaha police have one of the brothers in custody,” Hotch told Emily to have an ambulance dispatched.

What Reid knew that Derek didn’t was that it could take four hours to dig a grave by hand. The soil had been overturned, so maybe call it three. Your odds were still negligible. He didn’t stop, he didn’t stop when a caretaker came running at them, and he didn’t stop when Derek told him to get his digging equipment out here now.

Derek flashed his FBI badge to get what they needed. He had to physically pull Spencer back from the grave so the backhoe could dig, only going until there was less than a foot between them and the casket.

Spencer crudely attached a chain to the casket and the caretaker's vehicle. Carefully, the caretaker dragged the white container out of the earth and up a slant they had dug. It was locked shut, “Reid, move,” Derek ordered.

He leaned back and Derek fired at the lock, taking it off and opening the casket. Spencer gasped, there was blood on the side of your head, dried and raked through your hair. He was vaguely aware of Hotch and Emily arriving as they pulled you out of your satin prison. You had no pulse, but you were still warm. Immediately, Spencer started CPR.

“Reid let me do it,” Derek insisted.

What he was trying to say is that he shouldn’t have to be the one to try to save your life.

Morgan repeated himself and Spencer pulled away, allowing the other agent to immediately take over. There was a siren in the background, an ambulance. More people showed up, Spencer heard their voices, but he just kept watching you. CPR was effective if it was done shortly after your heart stopped, and even then, permanent brain damage was likely.

It had been eight minutes since they pulled you out of the ground. Clinically, you were dead for eight minutes before you gasped.

Spencer smoothed your hair back, away from your face, while you desperately tried to catch your breath. You weren’t moving, and Spencer started running through symptoms of hypoxia. His biggest fear was brain damage, that they had done more harm to you in bringing you back than they would have had you died.

The EMTs came running over to where everyone had gathered, dispersing the crowd, and placing an oxygen mask over your face. As they were loading you on the stretcher, you started trying to talk, reaching your arm out to your side. “Wait, what’s she saying?” JJ asked.

“Sometimes it’s hard to talk after CPR,” the male EMT said as they moved you closer to the ambulance. He listened to what you were saying, “It’s not coherent.”

Spencer didn’t move, all of the adrenaline that had been coursing through his body all day was leaving.

Aphasia. They were saying the lack of oxygen to your brain was causing aphasia. “No,” Emily said, realization dawning on her features as she strained to listen to you. You were whispering, rasping the same word over and over again. “She’s saying ‘Spence.’”

He stood quickly and looked at you, sure enough, you were reaching out your hand and whispering, “Spence, Spence.” Your voice no more than a whisper.

Grabbing your hand, Spencer squeezed it, “I’m here,” he answered. “It’s okay, it’s over,” he told you, moving your hair out of your face. Spencer secured your oxygen mask over your face as you tried to take it off, “You have to keep this on, angel.”

To his relief, you squeezed his hand back.

You had been instructed to get some rest, but you couldn’t close your eyes. You asked Spencer to go back to the hotel and change his clothes because he smelled like dirt, and it made you nauseous. Your head had been bandaged, you’d been run through an MRI, and you did an EEG, so far, the only brain damage that had been incurred seemed temporary.

According to the doctors, the nausea and fatigue should wear off, but they hadn’t been able to fully assess if any permanent damage was done. At this point, the worst of your injuries had been caused by being given CPR, resulting in cracked ribs.

Despite your headache, you kept most of the lights on in your hospital room, not quite ready to be left in the darkness again. “Hey,” a voice called from your doorway, Spencer stood, waiting to be invited in. He was wearing different clothes, a button-up with a green cardigan thrown over it, and clean pants. “How are you feeling?”

A nasal cannula slightly restricted your movement, but you were sat up in the hospital bed, “Better than I was, but not perfect.”

He shook his head, walking in and taking a seat next to you, “No one expects you to be perfect right now.” Gently, he reached out and took your hand, skimming the pad of his thumb over your knuckles. “They found the mother and the other son, and all three of them are going to go away for a long time,” he told you, speaking in the kind of hushed, reverent tones that are reserved for hospitals.

You sighed and tilted your head back, “Good,” you maundered. “That’s uh, good,” your voice was barely audible.

“So why do you look so worried?” He asked, leaning in closer to you.

In an attempt to dismiss his concern, you joked, “I think I owe Morgan some sort of life debt now.”

Spencer offered you a soft smile, “The two of you tend to trade those off, I’m sure you’ll find some way to make it up to him.” He inclined his head towards you as if to silently say, So what is it really?

You swallowed thickly, “I’m scared to close my eyes, Spence.”

His shoulders dropped, “oh, Angel,” he breathed. “Is there anything I can do for you?” He asked, looping a loose strand of your hair behind your ear. “Wait, what are you doing?” He asked, watching you as you lifted yourself, so you were on one side of the bed.

Shyly, you patted the new empty half of the bed, inviting him to sit next to you.

He had no choice but to comply, he had the hardest time saying no to you. Leaning the bed back slightly, Spencer kicked off his shoes before he laid down next to you, wrapping an arm around you as you set your cheek on his shoulder.

Your body relaxed into his and you sighed, “Spence?” You murmured.

He pressed a gentle kiss to the crown of your head, “Yes, angel?” He whispered back to you.

“Thanks for coming to save me,” you mumbled, slowly relaxing enough to fall asleep.

Spencer exhaled, “I’m always going to come to save you.”

part two

[cheshireliam]

"Wrapped in Wicked Romance" Story Event: Epilogue

Ring Schwartz

This is a fan-made translation solely for entertainment purposes with no guaranteed perfection; expect mistakes, grammatical errors, and some creative liberties. All original content and media used belongs to Cybird. Please support the game by buying their stories and playing their games. Reblogs appreciated.

Read this before interacting

Ring: I’m asking you out on a date! 

His date proposal that sounded more like a request to duel left me standing there wide-eyed in shock.  

Nica: … Ring. You’re not challenging her to a fight. Can you try again, but be more relaxed this time? 

Nica shrugged in exasperation, thinking the same thing I was.

Nica: Also, you didn't explain yourself well.

Ring: Oh, uhh… right. My bad. 

Ring: We couldn’t have a proper date with all that happened the other day, so… 

Ring: I want to take you out on a date again. Can… can I?

His voice was shaking as he nervously asked for my response.

I couldn't bear to reject him, seeing that he was trying his best.

Besides… I realised after our last date that I wanted to get to know him better, so there was no reason for me to refuse. 

Kate: I’d love to. 

Ring: R-really!? I’m not dreaming… right? YES…! 

Nica: This is reality. Good grief… look at you getting so excited as if you two are really in a relationship.

Darius: Isn’t that great, Ring?

…

The next day, Ring and I went for our date right away. 

While waiting outside Crown’s castle, I saw Ring sprinting towards me from a distance at full speed. 

Ring: … S-sorry! I’m late…! 

Kate: No, you’re right on time. I’m the one who came early. 

Kate: You arrived first and waited for me the last time, so… I thought I’d be the one to wait this time.

Ring: I-is that so? Then, next time I’ll come early t— 

Ring: Ah… no, nevermind. 

Ring’s words cut off mid-sentence, realising there might not be a next date. 

That kind of made me feel lonely.) 

(... I never realised how badly I wanted to spend more time with him.) 

Whether it was his endearing shyness due to being unaccustomed to interacting with women that made me want to tease him a little, or his kindness for thinking about others, or even the evil side of him that could mercilessly kill under Darius’ orders… I wanted to know even more about him. 

I felt that one date wouldn't be enough, and so…

Kate: Next date, it’ll be your turn to come early.

I picked up where Ring cut himself off, so that we would entirely erase the possibility of future dates happening.

Ring: Y-yeah… that's right!

Ring: Even though I can’t fall asleep the night before our dates… I’ll do my best to wake up early.

Ring nodded so vigorously that I was worried his head might fall. 

I felt relieved and at the same time, my chest was filled with a tingling warm feeling .

Ring: But first of all, let’s make sure today’s date goes smoothly.

Ring: Y-your outfit today… It reminds me of the colour of Bluebells. It looks beautiful. 

Ring: A-and your hairstyle… it’s amazing. It’s braided like chains…

Ring: … I think it suits you and… you look lovely. 

Kate: I discussed with the maids at Crown’s castle before deciding on my clothes and hairstyle! Thank you for the compliments.

Ring: I see… alright, I’ve done the compliments part…

Ring: Next is… uhh… you can hold my arm. 

Ring said and thrust his right arm out at me.

(The last time, he made an excuse saying he was “warming up”.)

The slight improvement made me smile tenderly, and I gently placed my hand on his arm.

Kate: Thank you. Well then, let’s get going!

…

And so, we went to The Scala, which we couldn't do the last time, and watched a play. 

Afterwards, we explored the city while shopping, and I introduced him to a restaurant that was both affordable and served delicious food.

We spent our time to the fullest, enjoying everything London had to offer.

…

Ring: … Everything felt so new to me.

Ring: Thank you for the enjoyable date, Robin.

Kate: I’m glad you had fun! By the way, what was the most impressive experience for you?

Ring: … Definitely Liam’s acting. 

Ring: He’s usually all sparkly and pink, but when he went on stage today, he was more of a glaring black colour. 

It was a unique description, but it was clear as day how moved he was by Liam’s performance.

Kate: Fufu, I’ll make sure to tell Liam that you enjoyed his performance! 

Kate: Also… can I ask you another question?

Ring: What is it? 

Kate: … Was today’s date also Darius’ order? 

Ring: …

Ring: … Looks like you’ve seen right through me.

Seemingly having accepted the situation, Ring began explaining. 

Apparently, Darius suggested the idea of going on a date today because Ring and I weren’t able to interact properly the last time.

Kate: I see…

Ring: … Robin? 

Kate: I had a hunch this was all Darius’ idea, but…

Kate: I also kind of hoped that you asked me out because you wanted to… so I feel a little lonely. 

Ring: ah… 

(I guess I was just selfish for wanting to know the truth… now I feel somewhat embarrassed.) 

Kate: Sorry for making it awkward! Let’s head back.

Ring: W-wait! It’s true that it was Dari’s idea this time…

Ring: But even if he didn't make the suggestion, I think I would’ve still invited you on a date myself. 

Ring: You’re a dangerous person… with a curse that makes my heart race every time. 

Ring: I think… I need to get to know more about you and come up with a strategy to counter it. 

Ring: So… I want to spend more time with you.

(A curse that makes his heart race…?) 

Of course, I wasn't a Cursed One. The reason why Ring’s heart was racing was likely because he isn’t used to being around women. 

(But… regardless of the reason, I’m glad to know he wants to get to know me better.)

Kate: I want to have more time to get to know you too. So… I’ll look forward to that from now on.

Kate: By all means, find out a lot of things about me and figure out your strategy.

Ring: Y-yeah… bring it on!

We’ve only just met not too long ago, so there were still many things about each other that were unknown to us.

Even so, one thing was certain— we both wanted to know more about each other. 

I don't know what kind of relationship we’ll build in the future as I grow more familiar with Ring…

But, right now, I’m just happy that we share the same feelings. 

[joequiinn]

The Dos & Don'ts of Fake Dating | E.M. x reader | epilogue

[chap seventeen] | [all chapters here]

Summary | You propose a crazy idea to the resident freak of Hawkins, Eddie Munson. But maybe he was even crazier for agreeing to it…

Warnings & Notes | fem reader, slooow burn, faking dating, opposites attract, bratty rich bitch reader, super minor revenge plot, dysfunctional family dynamics, idiots-to-lovers, smut & nsfw themes

Author's Note | Well, we've finally made it, everyone, and I'm feeling emotional about it. This epilogue is just a lil something I thought up while I was considering what the future would hold for Eddie and ice princess, and I love it dearly.

WC | 3.2k

Epilogue

September 1985

I want to be somewhere big and interesting. New York, L.A.… fuck, even Florida for all I care, I just want out of Hawkins, out of this town.” “Then I guess we’ll be those high school sweethearts that run off to L.A. together after graduation, huh?” “Oh, I’m sure.”

September 1987

Eddie should’ve been home by now. You’d memorized his work schedule within his first week of starting at VIP Records, so you knew his shift always ended at 6pm on Tuesdays - so where the hell was he? It was nearly 8:30, and you’d been getting more and more antsy as the minutes ticked by, worrying over what could possibly be delaying him like this.

So much had happened in the two years since you and Eddie began dating back in Hawkins - your world had changed so much that sometimes you felt like a completely different person. It started with some big things, like reintroducing Eddie to your parents and begging them to start fresh with him - though your father resolved to never show any warmth to your boyfriend, at least your mother was kinder.

You decide that you wouldn’t be going to college following graduation, instead wanting to take a year to work, which was yet another thing your father didn’t warm to. Somewhere amidst that decision and the subsequent string of arguments that followed, you found yourself spending more nights with Eddie and Wayne than you did with your own parents, until one day you realized you had informally moved into the Munson home. So, by the end of summer ‘86, you were out of your parents’ house and working full-time to save up for whatever may come next (and to pay rent, despite Wayne’s insistence that it was entirely unnecessary).

You weren’t sure who proposed the idea first, but you and Eddie had decided one day that you were going to move out to California. Initially, this was just some fantasy for the two of you, something to give you hope that you’d hightail it out of Hawkins one day, but over time that fantasy started to look more and more real until finally you agreed that maybe the idea wasn’t half bad at all.

So, you began to set aside more cash, began to look into neighborhoods and cities around Los Angeles, began to tell everyone that the two of you would be leaving town soon enough. No one really believed you at first - all your friends were in support of the idea, but they didn’t think it was particularly realistic. And when you mentioned it on one of the very rare occasions you saw your parents anymore, your father had the gall to laugh right in your face. That, of course, only bolstered your resolve to get the hell out of Indiana, and a lot of your freetime was slowly consumed with library visits to figure out how exactly to make this move happen.

You and Eddie finally made the leap a few months back, spending a couple weeks road tripping your way across the country, finally arriving in Los Angeles with only your most important earthly belongings and little else. Leaving Hawkins had been harder than you expected - leaving Wayne being the hardest - but you found California to be utterly refreshing, to fit you almost like a glove.

After living out of a hotel for a while, you found this cozy little apartment down in Long Beach, and you’d been content ever since; sure, it wasn’t perfect and the neighborhood wasn’t impressive, but it was your space, and that made it just right for you and Eddie. You both got jobs to hold you over for a while, you started visiting bars and venues, hell, you even found a stray cat that you quickly adopted without a second thought.

You’d been leaving the dollar theater after seeing a re-release of Labyrinth when the little calico found you - something about the film, and David Bowie, had totally mesmerized you when it came out the year prior, and Eddie was happy to take you to the special showing that night. So, when this cat approached you curiously and began weaving playfully between Eddie’s ankles, you were both immediately smitten. You named the cat Sir Didymus only to discover it was female a few weeks later, but it suited her rascally personality just fine, and thus her name stuck.

And now here you were, five months into your new California life and driving yourself crazy over where the hell Eddie was and why he was late to return home.

You called the record store and asked if maybe he was working late and forgot to mention it, but his coworker informed you that Eddie clocked out right on schedule; he mentioned that Eddie seemed eager to leave, but didn’t have any further information for you. On the one hand, it made you worry that something had happened, but on the other, you were annoyed that he had possibly made plans without telling you, as unlikely as that may be.

You’d tried to think of all the places in town that he could have gone to, but nothing seemed particularly viable - he wouldn’t have gone to a show without you, wouldn’t have gone to the store without you, wouldn’t have gone anywhere without you. Not unless he was keeping some kind of secret, but you couldn’t fathom what that might be.

Considering that today was your birthday, you had originally thought maybe he was making a special stop to get you flowers or a cake or a last minute gift; it was so like Eddie to do that, even after you insisted he didn’t need to get you anything at all. But once 7 o’clock hit, and then 7:30, and then 8pm, you began to doubt this original line of thought and assume the worst instead. 

Decidedly, a few minutes past 8, you’d thrown on one of Eddie’s sweaters and your shoes, and made the short trek down to the convenience store on the corner - the two of you were in there practically every day, so maybe one of the employees had seen him. The familiar night clerks greeted you, but when you asked about Eddie’s whereabouts, they didn’t have a clue, which made your worries grow even more. As if to put your mind at ease, they gave you a free 6-pack and said they’d call you if they saw him.

You returned back to the apartment to Sir Didymus crying for dinner, which made you realize you forgot to set out food for her earlier. Cursing to yourself, you filled her bowl and began to pace nervously, trying to consider where the hell Eddie could be. Did you forget about a show that he had previously mentioned? Or was he hit by a fucking truck? Maybe he got caught up chatting with a customer like he was one to do, or maybe he got fucking mugged. All possibilities were on the table, and you hated each and every one of them for causing you such worry and distress.

Prying open a window, you crawled onto the fire escape and lit a cigarette, hands shaky with anxiety as you pressed it to your lips. The night was relatively quiet for your neighborhood, which wasn’t saying much - there were always cars cruising up and down the road, music blasting from a nearby bar, and people constantly arguing in alleyways and backyards. But the noise was soothing in its way, reminding you that the world was constantly in motion and that Eddie was probably just caught up in it all.

Sir Didymus came to sit beside you, meowing as if she, too, was wondering where the hell Eddie was and why he wasn’t back home. You considered throwing on some clothes to go searching for him, but aside from the bar and the convenience store, there was nowhere in the area that he would be; moments like these made you wish you two hadn’t sold your car, because it would’ve been really convenient to have right about now.

Each time you heard tires screeching or saw headlights shining down the road, you craned your neck to get a better look, but it was never Eddie. You’d already nervously polished off two cigarettes and were lighting up a third; Sir Didymus had retired to sleeping on the pile of blankets that she commandeered within a few days of moving in.

As you were caught up in your anxious thoughts, you thought you’d heard metal music from somewhere nearby, muffled and far off, but it caused your ears to perk; when you realized that it was specifically a Dio song playing, you immediately shot to your feet, clambering back through the window while dropping your cigarette into the ashtray.

Without bothering to slip on shoes, you rushed out onto the breezeway connecting all the little apartments in your complex, gripping the rails as you tried to find the source of the music, which was obviously louder from this side of the building. The street in front of your complex was crowded with cars, so if the music was Eddie’s, he must have had to park way down the block; eventually, the music stopped, and you became more anxious by the second.

When finally you spotted Eddie walking up the sidewalk towards the gate, you all but rushed down the stairs to meet him halfway; Eddie smiled largely, clearly not able to make out your concern under the flickering lights illuminating the path. A glare grew in your eyes as you realized he looked just fine; in fact, it seemed he stopped by the store, if the grocery bag in his hand was anything to go on. He held up his arms to greet you, but before he could get a word out, you hissed while jabbing him in the chest.

“Where the hell have you been?” Your eyes were alight with panicked concern, and you didn’t realize until that moment that you were on the verge of relieved tears. You swallowed, determined to hold them back, “It’s almost 9 o’clock, Eddie, I was worried out of my fucking mind.”

Eddie’s face fell, arms drooping at his sides; he didn’t expect you to have gotten so worked up over him not returning on time. He thought he could surprise you, that he could do something nice for your birthday, but the utter panic in your expression told him otherwise. He dipped his head down towards yours, hoping that he could sooth all the stress that had bubbled up inside you.

“I should’ve called--”

“No shit.”

Eddie clenched his jaw a little, taking a breath - he wasn’t about to get upset with you, he wouldn’t let himself, “Let’s go upstairs, okay?”

The impulsive side of you wanted to argue with him right here and now, wanted to grill him about why he didn’t come home and what he was doing. The more patient part of you, however, held back, shaky breaths heaving in your chest as you nodded with a twisted expression. You spun around on your heels and marched up the stairs, crossing your arms with a scowl; Sir Didymus sat just outside your open door, curiously waiting for you both.

Following just a step behind you, Eddie sighed to himself as he took in your rigid posture, realizing that he should’ve thought this through - after all, since your move to Long Beach, the two of you were essentially attached at the hip, doing absolutely any and everything together. Of course you would worry when he didn’t come home, when he didn’t call or give you a heads up - but, again, he’d just been hoping to surprise you, and hadn’t considered that a few hours would get you as stressed as you were now.

Back in the apartment, you took large strides towards the open window and retrieved your cigarette from the ashtray. To calm yourself down, you began to pace, watching as Eddie closed the door behind him and waited there a moment as if to collect his thoughts; when he turned to face you, you quickly looked away and took a deep drag.

“God, Eddie, I’m trying not to be mad, okay, I was just so worried and I thought maybe there was something you were keeping from me or that maybe you were in an accident or even dead in a fucking ditch, and I know it’s ridiculous to get so worked up over only a few hours but--”

“You can be mad.” He interrupted the inevitable rambling that was about to commence.

You had always struggled to express emotions considering the household you grew up in, so these past two years with Eddie had been a learning experience for you, which led to your feelings often spilling over when they became overwhelming. You shot him a confused look, still struggling to this day with the idea that it was okay to feel something; you bit your tongue so that you wouldn’t keep babbling, trying to collect your thoughts.

“I should’ve told you where I was,” Eddie started, walking the short distance from the front door to the kitchen, gently dropping the grocery bag atop the counter, “but I wanted to surprise you.”

You laughed smally, feeling stupid for getting so worried over seemingly nothing. Shaking your head, you took a deep drag from the cigarette and turned to face the window, eyes unfocused as you looked around. You dropped your head, beginning to feel more and more stupid the more that you thought about it; you could hear Eddie coming up slowly behind you.

“Get out of your head,” He instructed gently, to which you laughed again, “You’re probably already kicking yourself, am I right? As if you did something wrong?”

You narrowed your eyes at his reflection in the window - fuck, he knew you too well. Slowly, you turned to face him again, but you kept your gaze on the floor. Eddie took another couple steps closer, waiting for you to eventually look up at him.

“I’m sorry, princess.” He said simply, and the pet name nearly caused you to smile fondly; even after all this time, it stuck, and you figured it wasn’t going anywhere. You could tell in his voice that Eddie saw you resisting to grin, “I should’ve called, I just got caught up in the surprise.”

The corner of your mouth pulled up, and you looked at Eddie carefully through your lashes; his smile was gentle and sweet, eyes far more adoring than you thought you really deserved. Swallowing your trepidation, you asked smally, “What surprise?”

Eddie’s smile grew larger as he cocked his head, “Your dual birthday-anniversary surprise.”

You couldn’t help but roll your eyes, relief slowly relaxing your shoulders as you took a final small inhale of the cigarette before tossing it out the window, “My birthday is not our real anniversary and you know it.”

You smiled fondly at the memory of meeting each other at that picnic table behind the football field, at the crazy fake dating scheme you had that ultimately led you to where you were now. It felt like a lifetime again that senior year happened, and yet it still felt as if it was only yesterday.

“So maybe we have two anniversaries.” Eddie teased fondly, his eyes taking you in as if you were still a breath of fresh air to him. Under those soft, adoring eyes, you could feel your ears growing hot even still.

You sighed affectionately with a shake of your head, crossing your arms as a gust of wind came up through the window; being near the beach, the air was always unexpectedly cold at night. As you took in the always pleasant sight of Eddie, you realized he had a bandage just above his collarbone, which caused your brow to furrow with concern as you looked between it and his face.

“What happened?” You asked, closing the gap between you two so you could worry over whatever the hell was on his neck; you wondered if maybe he nicked himself shaving, but the bandage seemed far too large for that. Did he hurt himself at work?

As you reached for the bandage, Eddie laughed, capturing your wrists in his hands before you could touch his neck. You met his eyes with confusion, to which he simply shook his head.

“That’s the surprise.”

Your expression deadpanned, “You getting hurt is the surprise? Geez, babe, how romantic.”

Eddie laughed again, fondly rolling his eyes, “Not hurt in the way that you think.”

Clearly enjoying your confusion, Eddie released your grip and reached for the bandage, hissing a little as he tried to gently peel it off. Your jaw dropped in both surprise and confusion at the injury beneath it, not prepared for what it would be.

It was a tattoo, though that wasn’t the surprising part, considering that Eddie was slowly becoming covered in them. No, what took you aback was that the tattoo was quite clearly your lips, done in a shade almost identical to the lipstick color you’d been trying just the day before. You stared dumbly at it, as if you couldn’t quite compute it, as if you didn’t quite think it was real.

When you finally managed to draw your gaze back up to Eddie’s face, he was smiling from ear-to-ear, eyes twinkling with clear delight at your stunned expression. You opened and closed your mouth a couple of times as you tried to find your voice again, eyes rapidly looking back and forth from the tattoo to his face and back again.

“You… got a tattoo for me?” Your tone was one of disbelief; saying it out loud made the moment more real, and suddenly your throat felt tight as if you could cry.

Eddie nodded with pride, “You like it?”

You stared at the replica of your lips, recalling the evening prior when you’d been testing out make-up samples that you’d gotten from work. Eddie always enjoyed watching you apply make-up, and of course lipstick was his favorite part; when he commented on a shade that he seemed particularly fond of, you leaned over and planted a loud, silly kiss at the base of his neck.

Considering that you crawled out of bed hours before him to get to your shift at the make-up counter, you didn’t see whether or not he’d ever cleaned the lipstick off; evidently, he must have worn it like a badge of pride all day until he could finally get down to the tattoo parlor and make it permanent.

Shaking yourself from your reverie, you looked at Eddie lovingly, your eyes a little more wet; god, you’d gotten so much more emotional since he entered your life, it was nearly ridiculous. Or maybe you’d just become more vulnerable, far less skilled at holding back when it was just the two of you alone.

You cupped his cheeks gently, being extra careful not to go near the fresh tattoo, “God, I love you.”

The smile he gave you was dazzling, mesmerizing even, “I love you, princess.”

You drew his lips down to yours, resting your forehead gently to his; Eddie hummed contently, whispering a tender “happy birthday” against your lips before kissing you fiercely.

.

.

addt. Author's Note | I'll try to keep this short and sweet. Thank you to everyone who has read this fic and watched it grow, to those that have been commenting and messaging with each update, and to all the incredibly fic writers I've met through this story! And, of course, a HUGE THANK YOU to my dear @eddiernunson for being so invested - you've helped me developed so many ideas, and it's truly warmed my heart to see someone else love the ice princess as much as I do <3 If anyone would like to be tagged in any future outings these two may have in store, please let me know!

@3rd-conchord @a-queen-blr @adelalaaa @adversary713 @avalon-wolf

@costellation-hunter @daisy-munson @daisyridleyss @damon-loves-pie @damp4eddie

@dreamerjj @eddiernunson @feralgoblinbabe @frogtape @fromasgardandback

@fckyeahlames @graciehams @kellsck @kthomps914 @littlexdeaths

@lotrefcp @love-anonymous-writer @marrowfrog00 @maskofmirrors @mewchiili

@miaajaade @miss-celestial-being @mmmunson @moonisu @munsonssweets

@no-bueno-writer @nxrdamp @ollieolive @rach5ive @sapphire4082

@sav12321 @seatbacksandtraytables @sheneedsrocknroll92 @steeldaisies @stormgrl19

@teethvenom @tvserie-s-world @twihard28 @urlivingdeadgirl @v1per1ne

@wefracturedmotivation @welcometohellsock @whats-my-question @xxsxdghxstxx

[thehouseofurmotha]

ミミ❤*•.¸♥ 𝓜𝔂 𝓼𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓶𝓪𝓽𝓮 ♥¸.•*❤彡彡

Pairing: Shinso x reader

Soulmate au! I looooove soulmate au's in this one the first words you speak to your soulmate is tattoo'd somewhere on your body! There are other types of soulmates tho like more subtle ones too where you crave whatever your soulmate is eating, have a clock that counts down etc etc. Also I fear I did not have the patience to write all of the events for the sports festival so it kinda sucks 😭

Okay giving y/n a quirk in this one too

Quirk: Sakura! You can create sakura leaves, with the leaves you can control them similarly to how Hawks can control his feathers, while also being able to create things out of your petals.

Downsides: migraines from over use, as well as the more you push your quirk the weaker the items you make become. (Imagine this is present mics voice guys)

Warnings: Sports festival arc 😔, swearing, angst

Summery: Meeting your soulmate goes happens in the most unexpected way.

You fight shinso in the first round instead of Midoriya

"THE SPORTS FESTIVAL?" The class all shouts in unison, after what they had just went through, they weren't sure if this was the best idea.

"Yeah, Aizawa-Sensei are you sure that's a good idea after the USJ attack?" Kaminari is the one to voice everyone's concerns.

"That's a valid concern Kaminari, but the Sports Festival is the most watched sports event across the world. Before the development of quirks people watched the Olympics, but now if you enjoy watching competition you're watching the U.A. sports festival. It's not something that we can just simply cancel. Security will be increased tenfold compared to other years." This seemed to satisfy your classmates concerns. Trusting whole heartedly what there teacher has to say. "You guys will have the next two days to prepare. Don't take this lightly, pros from all over the country will be watching and scouting."

And with that he dismisses the class, allowing you and your classmates to go change into your uniforms and work on training.

You work on allowing yourself to propel yourself through the air with your petals. You forge them to make wings of sorts on your back. It works pretty well, but flying in the air is definitely something you'll need to get use to. Ending back on the ground due to an overwhelming nausea caused from motion sickness.

Aizawa throws a bottle of water at you, it hits your arm causing you to look up at him. "Smart way to use your power, being in the sky can give you many advantages while doing hero work."

"Thank you Aizawa-Sensei." The water quickly helps you feel better, and the praise from your teacher puts a smile on your face. Knowing that you're on the right track gives you the motivation to keep going.

As the school day finally ends, you're tired but there's a feeling of satisfaction knowing that all your hard work will be put on display at the School Sports Festival. Not just any school either, U.A. the top hero school that you somehow managed to get into. You honestly don't really remember how you did it, you do know that you scored extremely high on the entrance exam. This entire school year has felt like a fever dream.

The only thing that you think could make it any more feverish, was to meet your soulmate. You knew that this was the age where quite a lot of people ended up meeting their soulmates, and you desperately hoped it would be the case for you. Being able to grow up with your soulmate, would be a blessing. With this, there was also that voice in the back of your head that you never would meet them. It's definitely not an unheard of thing, some people just never do find their fated partner.

There were many different ways people found out who their soulmate was. You were lucky enough to have the most obvious form, the first words your soulmate will ever speak to you is tattooed on your body. Yours is on your side specifically. The words aren't the most romantic, but they bring you comfort saying, 'so you have an impressive Quirk huh?, I've never seen anything like it'

You still desperately craved to meet your soulmate. And as you drifted to sleep that night, you thought about them. And who they might be.

The day of the sports festival had finally arrived. You sit in the 1-A waiting room feeling a mix of excitement and anxiety. You really wanted this to go well for you. To have the pro hero's see you and scout you for internships. It was such a exciting idea. They announced that the first event would be an obstacle course. With your ability to fly this should be a piece of cake for you.

As they announced the start, it suddenly dropped to frigid temperatures and you watch as multiple people get Frozen to the ground. You managed to react quickly enough to get yourself in the air before it manages to reach you. As you get into the sky you see 3 different people ahead of you.

Many people may be competing to the winner of the first event, but all you wanted to do was stand out, but not enough that people would think you're too much of an enemy.

You manage to make it through the first round coming in 5th place and you're more than happy about it. You take the time between rounds to allow yourself to breath, you hoped that you hadn't used to much power flying for the entirety of round one. But whether you did or not, you would keep pushing through.

Midnight announced that the second round would be a cavalry battle. Depending on what place you came during the obstacle course, determined how many points you were worth. Other than the first place winner, who had a million points. Every person higher than the last had 5 points added. So the person in 42nd place had 5 points and then it went up from there.

Since you had come in 5th place, you were worth 185 points. You were so glad that you hadn't fight so hard to be in first place. Part of you pitied Midoriya for the large target that would be placed on his team.

At some point, while you had been lost in thought. A certain purple headed tired looking guy had started walking towards you. You snap out of your thought to see him standing in front of you. You hadn't seen him around before, so you figured that he wasn't in the hero course class 1-B. Maybe a support course student by the look of it.

"So you have an impressive Quirk huh?, I've never seen anything like it." As the words come out of his mouth a burning sensation starts in your side and spreads throughout you. You freeze, staring at him in shock. You realized that the moment you spoke, he would know who you were. He would know that you're his soulmate.

Before you can even think you start running away from him. You want to turn around, to speak to him but your body won't let you.

A second later your snapped back into reality, crashing into someone's chest. You look up and realize that it was Todoroki. You immediately move backwards and start muttering out apologies.

"Oh, it's okay y/n. Are you okay?" He looks at you with what you think may be concern.

"Oh yeah I'm okay!" You give him your normal positive attitude, you couldn't let what just happened distract you.

"I was coming to find you anyways, it seems you don't have a team so will you be on mine?" You give him a small nod in response.

"Of course, I promise to do my best." With that you smile and are warned that the cavalry battle is starting soon.

Somehow in the matter of 15 minutes, your team managed to get the one million headband and win. You honestly feel as though you had blacked out, still distracted by what had happened earlier. But you did your part, and so did the rest of your team resulting in the win.

The last part of the sports festival was finally upon you. The one on one individual battles. You were horrified to find out that you would be fighting against him, who you found out is named Hitoshi Shinsou. Your soulmate, who didn't know he was your soulmate.

Well your lost in thought, Ojiro comes over to you. In your time at U.A. you and him had started to become friends.

"Y/n you cannot speak to him while fighting." He looks so serious as he says this.

"Uh why?" You're genuinely puzzled at this, not that you really wanted to say anything to him.

"His quirk is brain washing, the second you speak to him he can get you to do anything he wants. That's how he got me to join his team, that's why I dropped out." You feel bad for him, knowing how excited he was about the sports festival.

"Thanks for the heads up Ojiro." Part of you wants to keep this in mind, but all you want to do is talk to him.

"I know this may sound selfish, but beat him for you and me." And with that he walks away leaving you to prepare yourself for your battle.

Internally you start to freak out, not knowing if you could do this. And suddenly all the time has passed, and you're standing in the arena waiting for midnight to tell you to start. Your heart beats so fast you think it might beat right out of your chest.

"Let the battle begin!" Midnight calls out and everything suddenly feels so much more real. This is actually happening, and there's actual pro hero's watching your every move.

"So your the girl that ran away from me earlier? Well there's no running now." There's a smirk on his face, like he's over confident.

You remain silent carefully creating petals but keeping them out of sight from him.

"Hm? Still nothing to say, what a shame. Of course a pretty face like yours has nothing to say. No opinions, no nothing just meant to sit there and look pretty." You know he's just trying to get into your head, and you hope that if he knew he wouldn't be saying this things.

Once you feel you've made enough petals, you quickly shoot them out to restrain him. Pushing him closer and closer out of bounds.

"Ooo look pretty girls got a pretty quirk. Fitting huh." You take a good look at him. Studying his features. You can see on his face you knows he isn't going to win. Not if he doesn't get you to speak.

"You know you're lucky, to have such a hero like quirk. People like me, who don't have physical type quirks what are we supposed to do?" You can head the pain in his voice, you can feel his pain. And it starts to cloud your judgment. But you keep pushing to get him out of bounds. He is certainly fighting back.

"So this is how it's going to go? You're not actually going to fight me? Fine, be a coward."

This almost gets you to respond to him. But you know you can't, you have to win this battle. It feels like your future career as a pro hero depends on it. You need to stand out, to let people see you.

Finally you get him right to the edge. And for some reason, you start to cry.

"What the fuck are you crying about? Does the pretty girl feel bad for not giving me a chance to put up a real fight." And with that you push him out of bounds and he looks at you with hatred.

You take a deep breath, feeling it go all the way through your lungs, "I'm sorry you had to find out like this."

You immediately see the shock in his eyes as he clutches he's side.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? You knew this whole time you fucking knew. You- you fucking hid this from me. And you tell me now of all fucking times. You're genuinely an awful fucking person. I wish you had just kept your mouth shut." The longer he rants the louder he gets and you're sure the whole stadium could hear him. You start to sob harder as he starts to come towards you. He doesn't look like he wants to hurt you but it's clear he's not happy either.

Before he can reach you he's knocked out by Midnights quirk. You fall to your knees sobbing and begging his unconscious body for forgiveness. Quickly you brought away from the prying eyes of the audience by Midnight.

At some point you ended up in a room with both Midnight and Aizawa.

"Alright kid, do you know why he got so angry? I mean I get losing sucks but that was a different type of angry." Aizawa, your teacher is the one who breaks the silence.

"It's my fault- it really is- he's- he's my soulmate and I figured this out earlier before the Cavalry battle began. I couldn't break myself to speak to him after he spoke to me first. So I ran away. But then- after the match ended I couldn't stop myself- I didn't mean to speak to him- but I did- and it's my fault.." You stare out the ground, not brave enough to look up at either Aizawa or Midnight. Some hero you'll be.

"Alright kid, I'm only gonna say this once so you better listen alright?" You just give a small nod to let him know you're listening. "You were put in a rough spot, you found out during a time where you were already under a load of pressure. You didn't know how to handle it, sure you didn't go about it in a great way. But you're a teenager." He sighs, you look up with him and is met with tired eyes. Just like his.

Midnight chimes in, "It's just fate hun, this is how you were supposed to meet. And I know it may be scary now but it'll work out." Aizawa just grunts in agreement.

"Thank you.." It comes about barely a whisper but they hear it.

"He should be awake soon, we're only on the second match of the first round and you'll be last in the second, so you should have some time to talk to him if you so please." With that statement from Midnight, her and Aizawa leave the room. Leaving you alone with just your thoughts.

Before you have time to think about it, your legs are bringing you to Recovery girls office where he was being held.

You pace in front of the door for 5 minutes before gaining the courage to knock. You hear a gruff 'come in' and you know that he's awake. You take a moment before carefully opening the door.

"Oh. It's just you." He says it like he's upset, but you can see the relief on his face.

"I'm sorry, I just, I didn't know what to do." You look at him, begging silently for his forgiveness.

He sighs, "I get it, I guess. You were in a tough spot and I probably would have done the same. I shouldn't have freaked out on you."

"It's okay, I deserved it."

"No, you didn't I was out of line. I have a lot to work on if I ever want to be a hero."

"I think we both do." As your gaze meets his again, suddenly you realize how everything has changed.

"Thank you though, for not actually fighting me. I don't think I would have been able to live with myself if I had caused you pain." He looks up at you, with his knees pulled to his chest and his head resting atop of them."

You give him a slight nod in response not knowing what to say. "You know, I always wondered what scenario would cause my soulmate to be telling me they're sorry we had to meet like this. But I guess I get it now."

"Your words to me were so much better than mine. You deserve better, and I'll spend my entire life trying to be the better you deserve." His eyes widen and it looks like he might cry.

"We'll do it together." And then everything in the world feels right. Like this is exactly where your meant to be.

Alright chat I fear I did not eat this one up 😔 but we thug it out. I've spent to long on this trying to figure out out so I give up 😞😞 please forgive me if it's bad 🙏 as always my requests are open and happy reading! <3

[twafordizzy]

Kunstmoment Diepenheim

[etheries1015]

MC- I'm an ABSOLUTE GENIUS and nobody can stop me!!

Idia- ....

MC- What? why are you looking at me like that? This is pretty slay of me!

Idia- All you did was install your microphone. And then googled how put it as your main input.

MC- And?!?! that's the most technological thing i've done! Normally I ask someone else to do it, or if they say no, they change their mind after I break something. But this time I did it all by myself! No burnt wires or crying this time!

Idia, sarcastic- Yeahhh, wooohoo, impressi-

Ortho, hitting idia and whispering- be happy for them, brother! They managed to do it without asking for your assistance!

Idia- H-hey! I...I am! *coughs* y-yes... Good...good job. Real cool! *awkward smile and thumbs up*

MC, flashing him a big smile and skipping around happily

Idia, squinting his eyes- ugh...so bright...

He loves you though, and your smile at such a simple feat made him much happier than he let on. <3 Although he does wonder how a fellow nerd such as yourself can be such a grandparent figuring out basic technology functions. But he wont tell you he likes it that way, when you're practically begging him for his help. Heuheuheu.

[raven-dor]

close to you

in which fred weasley and his best friend are oblivious to each other's feelings

PAIRING: fred weasley ii x gryffindor!reader, fred weasley ii x fem!reader

WARNINGS: fluff, angst, obliviousness!!, arguing, misunderstanding, poor theodore nott jr

WORD COUNT: 3.0k

🎶 : close to you - gracie abrams

“Godric.” James groaned, holding his head between his hands. “They’ve been arguing for hours.” 

Roxanne laughed. “You think we’d be used to it by now.” She crossed her arms. “What are they arguing about this time?” 

James scoffed, leaning back into the plush Gryffindor common room couch. “Oh, you weren’t listening?” Roxanne shook her head. He smirked, sighing as if he was disappointed. “Allow me to enlighten you. Your darling brother brought up the fact that Ophelia Scamander was going alone to the Yule Ball.” 

“Alright?” 

“I’m almost certain he brought that up to get a reaction from Y/N.”

Roxanne laughed. “Is that what started this then?” 

James shook his head, thoroughly entertained that Roxanne hadn’t caught on yet. “What started this was that Y/N brought up she already had a date.” 

Roxanne’s jaw dropped. “You’re joking.” 

“I wish I was. Your brother overreacted…” 

“Typical.” 

“Hence the argument we’ve been spectators to for roughly-” He checked his watch. “Ten minutes.” 

“That’s it!” 

They looked over, surprised that steam wasn’t hissing from Y/N’s ears. Her voice was shrill, ringing through the otherwise empty common room. “Come find me when you become an adult.” She stormed off, her gaze fixed on the exit. 

Fred scoffed, yelling after her. “Jokes on you. I already am!” 

The portrait door slammed shut, and an uncomfortable silence fell over the room. James coughed. “Trouble in paradise?” 

Fred glared, plopping on the couch beside him. “Shut it, you.” 

Roxanne sighed. “Freddie, why do you think you were so upset about this?” 

“I assumed we were going together.”

James grinned. “And why’s that?” 

“I know where this is going, James. We’re best friends.” Fred almost looked dejected as he said it. “Nothing more.” 

Roxanne laughed. Godric, it was a miracle he survived day to day with how thick he could be. “Do you ever stop and think that perhaps the reason you and dear Y/N/N argue so often is because you fancy each other?”

“Rox…”

James sighed, looking at his cousin guiltily. “She’s not wrong, Fred.” 

Fred groaned. “Not you too.” He stood up, his hands on his hips. “I’m off to find Y/N.” 

“Have fun!”

“Bugger off, James!” 

The library was quieter than the Gryffindor Common Room, that much was evident. The majority of the student body could be found there at any time of day staring at textbooks, committing their information to memory. She smiled to herself, it was nice to have the solitude the library offered compared to the chaos her home brought contained. It almost made her laugh: Fred had no right to be that upset, but she couldn’t help but feel butterflies erupt in her stomach whenever he had an overprotective stint. He was gorgeous, anyone with eyes knew, the way his eyes lit up when he was passionate about something. And the fact he was so annoyed with her choice of date made her dare to think that-

“Y/N.” 

“Fredrick.” 

He sat down, carrying a look that mirrored that of a kicked puppy. “I shouldn’t have reacted that way. It wasn’t fair.” 

Ah. She felt disappointed. “That’s very… responsible of you.” 

“Do you, do you have anything to say?” 

“Do I?” She scoffed, setting down her quill to see if he was being serious. “Am I supposed to be apologizing as well?” 

He sighed. “I didn’t mean for it to sound like that. I just-” 

“What?” She snapped. “What did you just-” 

“I can’t stand you being mad at me.” He hissed. “I know it’s my fault, love.” He reached out, holding her hand and rubbing the back with his thumb. “You’re my best friend, and we can’t be mad at each other forever.” 

It was like a bucket of cold water thrown on her face. Why had he always felt the need to break her heart? “I don’t know what gave you the impression I was mad at you Fred.” 

“Oh, I don’t know.” He laughed. “The fact that you stormed off and have been avoiding eye contact this entire conversation.”

She stuck her tongue out. “You’re my best friend too. And trust me, I could never be mad at you.”

“Good.” He smiled. “Have you found a dress yet?” 

She shook her head. “I haven’t, actually. Would you want to come along? Roxie already got hers, and the rest of the girls had them shipped in.” 

“Sounds like you've already planned my Saturday.” 

She shoved his arm, glaring. “Oh, because you had such compelling plans.” 

“Godric, woman, stop pulling me,” Fred whined.

She rolled her eyes, pushing open the door of Gladrags. “Would you rather have frozen? Really, you should be thanking me.” She let go of his hand to remove her coat, and Fred almost outwardly whined from the loss of touch. “It’s not my fault you walk slower than a flobberworm.” 

They strolled through the aisles, and every so often Y/N handed Fred a dress to hold. “Are you excited?” 

“To watch you play dress up for two hours?” He smiled sarcastically. “Ecstatic.” 

“Guard my room will you.” She yelled through the curtain. “Do you swear?”

He nodded, smiling to himself. “I solemnly swear.”  

She rolled her eyes, laughing to herself. “Is that a reference to that stupid map?” 

“Love, they’re all starting to look the same.” 

Y/N glared, visibly defeated by the many hours of trying on dress after dress after dress. “If I knew you would be so unhelpful I wouldn’t have brought you.” 

He held his hands up in surrender. “Do you trust me?”

“You know I do.” 

Fred stood up, and she naturally followed after him. “You need something different. Not something you find at first glance.” She smacked his arm, obviously taking offense. “I wasn’t saying you have bad taste, I’m just-” Her eyebrow raised impatiently. “Getting to the point.” He stopped, pulling out the most stunning dress she’d ever seen in her life. “I know that I don’t have the best taste-” 

“It’s perfect.” She squealed, kissing him on the cheek. “You’re perfect.” 

He laughed, handing her the dress. “Go on, then.” 

She ran to the dressing rooms. The dress he'd picked was white, with (what looked like) a thousand layers of tule, all coming to an end at an empire waistline. Jewels had been expertly sewn in, and as she looked closer, she realized they were snowflakes.

The back would prove to be an issue, she thought as she closed the curtain. She could lace most of it herself, but- Godric, she would need someone else to help her. “Fred.” 

A beat of silence. “Everything alright, love?” 

She took a deep breath. “I need your help.” 

“With?” His voice sounded tight. 

“I can’t-” She huffed, picked up the front of the dress, and walked out of the dressing room. “The lacing...” Fred stared, and her heart skipped a beat, there was that look again. “Stop looking at me like that.” He stepped forward, whispering gently.

“Turn around.” 

“Excuse me?” She tilted her head. 

“The lacing.” He reminded her why she'd even called for his help. “Turn around.” 

She obliged, smiling to herself as his fingers grazed her back. “You picked the perfect dress, Freddie.” 

His cheeks felt like they were on fire, tightening the laces once more before tying a bow. “It’s nothing…” She turned around, and he realized how serious this moment really was. “You know, you look like the moon itself.”

She laughed, actually laughed. He almost glared, here he was complimenting her, and she laughed at him. “What’s so funny?” 

“I’m sorry, it’s just that you looked so serious when you said it.” 

“Oh really?” He raised an eyebrow, a smile creeping on his face. “Well, remind me to never compliment you again.” 

“No!” She begged. “Please, don’t.” 

“Fine, fine.” Somehow his arm had found its way around her waist, and time seemed to stand still. It felt natural almost, like her waist had been made for his arm to be draped around it. “You’ve convinced me.” 

“What are we doing? This is-” 

“Y/N." He swallowed, his mouth felt dry. "I need to kiss you now. Is that- okay?” 

She nodded, her eyelids lulling in anticipation. “Yes.” 

“I- I’m going to-” 

“Fred, just kiss me!” Her voice was ruder than she intended, her eyes widening. “Sorry, I-” 

“I don’t think we should.” He whispered. “It would only-” 

Tears pricked at her eyes, and she felt like she could die right there. Her voice broke as she spoke. “Can you undo the laces please?” 

He nodded. “I’m sorry-” 

“Fred, just do it.” Her voice was harsh, and his fingers fumbled with the strings. “Don’t apologize to me. We both wanted to, just…” The dress was loose, and she crossed her arms, barely holding it up as she turned around. Her eyes were glassy, and Fred had never felt this guilty in her life. Tears were steadily streaming down her face. “Promise me you won’t tell anyone about this.” 

“I-”

“Promise me!”

“I promise.” 

She shoved past him, pulling the curtain shut. “I think you should leave.” 

“Y/N…” 

“Fred, go away.” 

Her tone dripped with venom. He’d never heard her sound that betrayed, more angry, and it made him want to stay even more, to help her and make up for his cowardice. “Love, let me-” 

“Just stop!” She screamed. “I think it’s best if we take a break.” 

“A break?” His voice sounded nervous. Good, she wanted him to squirm like she just had. “From what?” 

“Whatever this is Fred. I’m tired of it. You- You coward.” She walked out of the dressing room, glaring at her best friend. “I have feelings for you and I can’t- I can’t be around you like this. So please just don’t talk to me.” 

She stormed out of the shop, leaving Fred alone with his thoughts. He was empty, he realized. It was stupid: honestly, the most foolish thing he’d ever done, backing out of something he knew he'd wanted to do for ages.

She was right, he was a coward. How many, he asked himself, could stand in the face of perfection itself and not crumble? He pushed open the curtain, frowning at the dress that had been thrown on the ground. 

“Excuse me?” He stood up, turning around to see an older witch looking at him with blatant concern. “Is everything alright, dear?” 

“I’d-” He took a deep breath, folding the dress delicately. “I’d like to buy this dress please.” 

The older witch nodded, leading him to the register. “She’s very lucky.” 

He laughed, shaking his head. “I’m the lucky one.” 

“Y/N!” Roxanne called out from the bottom of the stairs. “There’s a package for you.” 

Her mother wasn’t due to send her a care package for another week. Her eyebrows furrowed as she climbed out of bed. She’d wanted to sleep as long as she could before getting ready for the ball, but the universe had other plans for her. “Who’s it from?” 

Roxanne shrugged. “Don't know.” 

Y/N laughed. “A lot of help you are. There’s no note?” 

She shook her head. “It’s a pretty big box.” 

Y/N nodded. “Thanks, Rox.” 

“Can I-” Roxanne smiled. “Can I come with you?” 

“Do you even need to ask?” Y/N wiggled her eyebrows, racing up the stairs, with Roxanne hot on her tail. They jumped onto Y/N’s bed, ripping the box open eagerly. 

“A note!” Roxanne grinned. “Any idea who could be your secret admirer?” 

“Not a clue.” She was lying through her teeth of course, but she couldn’t tell Roxanne this secret. This one had to be just for her and Fred. Taking the note from her friend's hand, she carefully opened it, her cheeks flushing at its words. 

“You were right?” Roxanne murmured. Y/N turned around, glaring. “Sorry. It’s just so interesting.” She pulled the dress out of the box, smiling softly. “It’s a beautiful dress.” 

“It is.” Y/N stood up, holding it against herself as she looked in the mirror. “It really is.” 

“I’ll see you down there, yeah?” Roxanne squeezed her hand. “You look radiant, truly.” 

“Thanks, Rox.” Y/N squeezed back, taking a deep breath. “I’ll see you soon.” 

It was a few moments later before she felt brave enough to walk down the grand stone steps. She could hardly breathe, and wearing this dress- Merlin, she hoped tonight was perfect. She rounded the corner, gripping the railing with all of her strength. The crowd at the bottom of the stairs hadn’t turned around in awe, which did wonders for her nerves. She would have hated for people to fuss over her. 

What had made her nervous was the fact that ever since she’d stepped out from behind the corner, Fred had been staring at her so intensely, that she thought she would burst into flames.

Behind Fred, was her date, Theodore Nott. Much like his father, he was stoic and knew what he wanted. When he’d asked her, she thought it had been a joke. But he'd proven to be a kind man underneath it all, and she knew she would have a nice time with him.

Now, she was dreading seeing his face; there was no way that he'd see past her evident feelings for her best friend.

When she finally reached the bottom of the stairs, they was practically standing face to face. Her heart lept, frozen in time. Fred was just standing there, staring at her as intently as before. She quickly stepped around him, making her way to Theo before she would do something she'd regret. 

Her date was rather cheery, which made her cheery as well. He bowed, taking her hand and kissing the back gently. “Your beauty rivals that of a veela, Y/L/N.” 

“Flattery will get you nowhere.” She grinned, standing on her tiptoes so that she could kiss his cheek. “But thank you.” 

He smiled, extending his arm. “Shall we?” 

“We shall.” 

“She looks perfect,” Fred murmured, watching her walk into the ballroom. 

Roxanne nodded. “She does.” 

“I’m an idiot, Rox.” 

The girl smiled. “We all make mistakes, Freddie.” 

“I should’ve kissed her.” He whispered so quietly she almost hadn’t heard him. “Has she-” 

She shook her head, and Fred laughed. “How did you know?"

“She’s my best friend, and you're my brother. I know you two better than I know anyone." She smiled, hooking her arm through his. "I knew something was wrong the minute she came back without you."

“I love her.” He practically whined. “Do you know what it feels like to not be with the person you love?” 

She shook her head once more. “I don't. But I can imagine that it’s painful, and it hurts. But then you realize that you would go through it all again…” She leaned her head on his shoulder. “Just for the chance to be with them.” 

“Are you having a good time?” Theo felt helpless as he watched his date stare at another man. “I’m sorry if I-” 

“What?” She shook her head. “Sorry, you were saying?”

“Are you having a good time?” 

“I should ask you that.” She frowned. Theodore hated it when she frowned, she was too beautiful for that. “I haven’t been a proper Yule Ball date.” 

He smiled, murmuring to himself. “I should have known.”

“I’m sorry?” Her heart stopped. 

“I never should have asked you.” 

“I’m confused.”

“Well, it’s obvious you wanted Weasley to ask you. Right?”

“I-” She looked out at the dance floor, smiling faintly at his horrible dancing. “Unfortunately.” 

He nodded, standing up. “You won’t mind if I-” 

She shook her head,  “I’m really sorry, Teddy.” 

He laughed. “You’re the only person that calls me Teddy.”

“Go talk to her.” Roxanne nudged her brother. “If you keep staring at her from across the room she’s going to think you’re obsessed with her.” 

“I am.” He corrected. “Obsessed with her.” He looked back, tilting his head. “You think I should?” 

“Freddie…” James groaned. “Go talk to her before I do. I’m getting sick of this back and forth. OW!” 

Fred looked over, laughing as Roxanne smacked their cousin over the head. “Fine, fine. I’ll go. Just stop fighting.”

“She’s waiting for you.” Fred tensed at the familiar voice. “Nott.” 

“Weasley,” Theodore responded. “I need you to swear to me that you won’t hurt her.” 

“What are you-” 

The Slytherin’s eyes looked dark, and a chill ran down his spine. Theodore stepped forward, whispering. “Swear it, Weasley.” 

“I swear.”

Theo smiled, not bothering to address Fred any longer, and waved goodbye to the two spectators. “Roxanne, Potter.” 

James glared at their peer as he walked away. “What an odd bloke.” 

She looked radiant. The wind elegantly blew what hair had fallen out of her updo. She looked straight out of that muggle film she’d forced him to watch.

The dress was glowing in the moonlight, she looked like pure magic, but he knew there was no way she wasn’t cold. She always had a shiver, even if it was bright and humid outside. He shrugged his suit jacket off, walking beside her and draping it over her shoulders. 

“Thank you, Freddie.” 

Merlin, her voice was like music to his ears. “Anytime, love.” 

She hadn’t bothered to look over, and it brought comfort to him that she knew it was him without looking. He took a side step closer to her, whispering so that only they could hear. “You wore the dress.” 

She nodded. “You have great taste.” 

“I do, don’t I?” She rolled her eyes, finally looking at him, and he smiled, even if her look was a glare. He held his hands up in surrender, which seemed to be a common theme between them. “All jokes, love.” 

“Did I-” She sighed, turning toward him. “Did I read it wrong?” 

He shook his head. “No.” 

“And if I want to kiss you again-” 

He lunged forward, he couldn’t help himself any longer. He was a coward then, but Godric help him if he was a coward now. Their lips were still touching when he spoke next. “I love you.”

Her eyes were teary. “Fred…” 

“I know you love me too.” He smiled, kissing her again lightly. “In my soul, I know it.” Grabbing her hand, he pulled it up to his chest, placing it directly over his thumping heart. “I’m sorry I didn’t realize it sooner, I’m sorry that I ignored it, but I’m here now, and I-” He grinned, kissing her again. “I love you.” 

“I love you too.”

“Yeah?” He nudged his nose against hers. “You do know you’re stuck with me, right?” 

“Freddie…” She laughed. “We've been stuck together for eighteen years. The chance to lose me has passed."

"I have never..." He whispered. "And will never want to lose you."

Her heart fluttered, caressing his cheek gently. “It’s snowing.”

He nodded, placing his arm around her waist, swaying back and forth. “It is.”

She giggled. “My, you’re smooth.”

“I pride myself on my charm.” He whispered, leaning down.

Her eyes fluttered shut. “As you should.”

He smiled, their lips barely touching. “You know, you really do look like the moon.”

taglist: @beebeechaos

[secretsecretbunny]

Just friends: stray kids smau.

Part two: "MewMin."

paring: lee minho x f!reader - roommate!skz

genre: fluff, angst, comedy, (future smut), smau, roommates au.

warnings for this chapter: weed use, mild sexual jokes, relentless flirting, honestly that's it, this is mostly fluff.

intro || part one || part 1.5

As you stretch your arms overhead, you swing your legs over the side of the bed and stand up, putting on an oversized t-shirt and your favorite pair of pajama shorts. It may have appeared that you weren't wearing any pants, but you didn't care and were confident that nobody else would either, as long as you were comfortable. As you leave your room, you make your way towards the basement stairs, passing by the kitchen where Chan and Seungmin are busy preparing their breakfasts. The aroma of freshly toasted bread fills the air as you walk down the hallway.

"morning!" you said, your voice still a bit raspy from sleep.

"morning, sweetheart" Chan responded, motioning you in for a hug.

You took a few more steps into the kitchen, feeling the coldness of the tile floor against your bare feet as you wrapped your arms around Chan's waist and rested your head on his chest, enjoying the warmth his body provided. "You should really be sleeping more" he mumbled into your hair.

You sighed "I know I know, but I have caffeine!" You chirped as you pulled away from the hug.

"You're gonna be shaking like a damn chihuahua if you don't chill with the caffeine" Seungmin said as he took a bite of his food. You turned around to face him.

"oh so I get shit for drinking too much caffeine but Innie doesn't? Double standard ass bitch." Seungmin just rolled his eyes. You looked him up and down for a moment, he was dressed in a nice black button up with the top two buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, matching black slacks, and nice shoes. He was adorned with gold necklaces and rings while his hair was parted in the middle.

"You look hot, where you going?" you asked with a tilt of your head. His face scrunched up in disgust, despite his flushed cheeks, making Chan laugh.

"Ew. Anyway.. I'm heading over to Gucci and then Prada to get some dog clothes for the pups I'm walking today." he explained.

"You shop at Gucci and Prada for dogs?" you ask incredulously.

"Yes? And?" he replied in defense.

As you left the kitchen, you couldn't help but shake your head with a hint of amusement. "Nothing, just suddenly I'm a dog." You said with a laugh.

"Yeah well I'm not buying you shit!" He shouted down the hallway, his words chasing after you as you made your way towards the stairs that led to Jisung's room.

You walked down the stairs and passed through the spacious game room, which was filled with a variety of entertainment options, including a few arcade machines, an air hockey table, and a dart board mounted on the far wall. Rounding the corner you peeked into Jisung's room. "Hanji? You're clothed right?" you asked cautiously. He laughed "no, I'm stark naked and smoking a fat bowl." he said sarcastically. "Oh hell yeah" you said, dramatically bursting into the room. As you laughed uncontrollably, you collapsed onto one of his soft couches. He quickly passed you the bong with a chuckle, shaking his head at your dramatics. "well, the fat bowl part was true at least" you accepted the bong, lighting the bowl and taking a decent sized hit before you blew the smoke out slowly. God you loved a good wake n bake.

The sudden buzzing of your phone signaled an update awaited you in the group chat.

You slowly savored the coffee Jeongin had brewed for you, already feeling the effects of the RedBull but still yearning for more caffeine. Six hours or less of sleep wasn't uncommon for you, but it certainly wasn't enough to feel rested. The weed kept the caffeine jitters at bay and you were content vegging out on the sofa in Jisung's basement bedroom.

You lived in a spacious and luxurious house, so it was no surprise that the basement was just as impressive. It was modeled the same as the rest of the place, with the exception of the lack of windows. Jisung's room was adorned with purple LED lights and chill music played in the background, creating a peaceful atmosphere that was perfect for starting your day.

After sending your last message to the group chat and locking your phone, you let out a sigh as you set it down on the coffee table in front of you. Jisung sat on the smaller sofa across from you, giving you an inquisitive look with his eyebrows furrowed and his eyes fixed intently on yours. You raised an eyebrow back at him "What?" you asked. "not to be the bitch in another bitches business.." he started, slouching further into the sofa "but you do know they're just worried, right?" he asked hesitantly. You gave a gentle smile before another sigh escaped you. "Yeah, I know, but I'm good, promise." you said. Jisung nodded in response.

The door creaked open further and both of you leaned forward to see who was entering. "Hey, just me." Minho said as he stepped inside. "gimme a couple hits, my body is screaming from this morning's routine" he complained. Jisung sat up, handing him the bong. Minho took a hit, blowing the smoke up towards the ceiling. "So, wasn't trying to eavesdrop but.." he turned to you, face unreadable "you are like.. safe.. right?" he asked, referring to your work. You carefully chewed on your bottom lip for a few seconds, gathering your thoughts before responding. "I mean.. yeah. I'm safe." Minho looked at you, unsure if he really believed you or not. You smiled, placing a hand on his cheek. "Don't worry about it." You dropped your hand and Minho let out a huff.

"Anyway.. what are your guys plans for the day?" You asked. Jisung hummed in thought. "I'm probably just chilling here all day." he said with a shrug. Minho looked at you. "I was thinking about going to the Spring festival they're holding at the park. It'd probably be boring alone though.. if you wanted to come with." he said nonchalantly, as if he wasn't already planning on asking you to go. You perked up. "Will you buy me snacks?" You gazed at him with pleading eyes, resembling those of a puppy, and paired it with an endearing smile that lit up your whole face. The combination was irresistible, making him burst into laughter. "Yeah yeah, I'll buy you snacks, princess" he said, rolling his eyes. "Hell yeah! I'm in." Minho turned towards Jisung. "You wanna tag along.. orrr?" he asked him, giving him a look that you couldn't quite decipher. Ji just smirked "Nah. You two have fun." He said, giving Minho a knowing look. "Okay. We'll head out around three, yeah?" He asked you, you nodded. "Yeah, sounds good!" As Minho rose to his feet, he tenderly patted your head before making his way towards the exit. "I'm gonna go make myself some food, I'll see you later though." he said walking out of Jisung's room and back up the stairs.

Ji fixed his gaze on you, his right eyebrow arched in a subtle yet unmistakable gesture of inquiry. "What?" You asked with a confused expression on your face. "Nothing it just.. kinda sounds like a date." He said with a sly grin and an exaggerated eyebrow wiggle, emphasizing his point in a playful manner. You rolled your eyes. "We're just friends, Hanjiiiii" he laughed. "Whatever you say, bug."

You and Jisung smoked another bowl and engaged in conversation while enjoying music, laughing over absolute bullshit until you decided to get ready for the festival with Minho. "Have fun on your daaaate~" Ji mocked in a singsong voice as you stood up from the sofa, his tone was playful but slightly sarcastic. You threw a pillow at his face and laughed before quickly scurrying off to your room.

You chose a cozy and laid-back outfit, consisting of a soft grey sweater, a stylish denim skirt, and your trusty white sneakers, perfect for walking around. For your hairstyle, you opted to keep your strands flowing freely, adding an effortless touch to your overall look. When you stepped out of your room, you narrowly avoided bumping into Minho as he was stopped in front of your door. "Oh, hey. I was just about to get you." He said with a laugh. "You ready?" You nodded "yup! Let's head out!" you said, pulling him along. "You wanna get cheap coffee before?" He asked. "Duh"

Following the stop for coffee where you stayed to savor the drinks, you continued on to the festival, where you were greeted by the vibrant colors of springtime as you approached the park. The sweet scent of blooming flowers mingled with mouthwatering smells from an array of food stalls wafting through the atmosphere. After quickly exiting the car, your excited bouncing drew Minho's attention. "Where to first?" You asked Minho who had an amused smile on his face. "I promised you snacks, no?" he said with a grin. "Let's go get you something good." With graceful precision, you maneuvered around the car and latched onto Minho's arm. "I want something sweet and deep fried!!" You exclaimed. He chuckled as he guided you towards the array of food stalls, each one tempting your senses with its unique aroma. The sweet and savory smells mingled in the air, making your mouth water in anticipation. As you scanned the row of stalls, your eyes landed on a particular stand that caught your attention: Cherry blossom powdered donuts. You pointed to it excitedly. "thaaaaaat". Minho laughed at your excitement, throwing his head back. "Okay okay okay" he laughed out.

As you approached the stall, your face dropped. "Wait, Min, these are expensive. I'm not letting you buy these!" You said, pulling out your wallet. Before you could even pull out your card, Minho quickly and sneakily grabbed your wallet from your hands, shoving it in his own pocket. "Don't even think about it, princess." He said, looking at you intensely. "Miiiin" you whined "aht, shut it." Without hesitation, he extracted his wallet from his other pocket and handed over money to cover the cost of two donuts. You pouted. "I could've totally paid for mine!" With a sly grin spreading across his face, Minho reached out and affectionately tapped his fingers beneath your chin. "I know you could have. I simply didn't want you to, freak." You rolled your eyes. "Fine but I owe you." This made him grin. "Yeah? What are you gonna pay me back with?" He asked with a tilt of his head and a wink. Your face flushed a bit at his sudden flirtatious attitude, and you could feel the heat rising to the surface. You hid it by walking over to a bench that sat beneath one of the many beautiful pink trees. He laughed as he followed you to the bench, where you both sat down and enjoyed your donuts.

You basically devoured your donut in just two bites, while Minho had barely taken his first bite. He looked at you with a hint of amusement and wiped away some powder that had gathered on your bottom lip with his thumb, swiping over it slowly. The soft pad of his thumb meeting your sensitive lip had goosebumps rising on your neck. Your heart stupidly skipped a beat at the gesture. 'Jesus, y/n. This is Minho, what the hell is your problem?'. Maybe it was because of Ji's teasing about this being a date, but you had promised yourself ages ago that nothing could ever happen between you and any of the boys. You refused to be responsible for the fallout of your closely knit group. Not after the rumor almost destroyed everything. All you'd be doing is proving the rumor right.

You turned your head, clearing your throat. "Remember last time we came to the spring festival?" You asked him. With a gentle smile playing on his lips, he relaxed into the bench, letting out a soft laugh. "Yeah. I had to hold your stupid hand the entire time because you freaked out and started crying when I went out of sight for two minutes." He said, reminiscing. "It was ten minutes, Min!! I thought you ditched me.." you pouted. "I would never." He said, nudging your shoulder, the contact warm. You nodded "Yeah, I know. But I was already ditched that day by the guy I was supposed to be there with. I thought maybe I just sucked to be around." You huffed with a nervous laugh.

Minho's fingers grazed against your skin as he tenderly tucked a strand of your hair behind your ear, making your heart flutter. "Nah, you're my favorite person to be around." God he needed to stop. No, you needed to stop. It's not like he was even doing anything particularly.. flirty. Was he? This was normal behavior within your friend group, so why should it feel different with Minho? You sucked in a breath. "I thought I was a freak." You teased. He laughed. "I mean, a freak could be a good thing, depending on where you're at." He said wiggling his eyebrows. Now you were laughing. You smacked his arm. "Jesus Christ, Min." You said rolling your eyes. "is that what you scream in bed too?" He said, his voice low. You looked at him, tongue in cheek. "Wouldn't you like to know?" You asked sarcastically. Minho merely shrugged. "Maybe." You just shook your head with another roll of your eyes. "You're impossible, Lee Minho."

The two of you went back and forth for a while, making jokes and conversation before deciding to walk around the festival some more. With so many things to look at, you could hardly focus on just one thing. Suddenly you came to a stop in front of a stall with a dart board game, eyeing what was possibly the cutest grumpy looking cat plush. It honestly reminded you of Minho. "Got your eye on something, princess?" Minho asked, backtracking to you. You simply nodded. "Give me my wallet. I want to win that cat!" You explained, pointing at the stuffed animal. He laughed. "That weird looking thing?" You stifled a smile. "Funny you say that, I was just thinking that it looked like you." Minho threw a hand to his chest with a dramatic gasp. "How dare you, I am MUCH cuter than that thing." You rolled your eyes, making a grabby hand, asking for your wallet.

Minho simply shook his head "Not a chance, princess. I invited you, I'm paying." he said. "Minnnn no! You know how I feel about people spending money on me!" You huffed. "And y/nnnnn you know how I enjoy spending money on people!" He mocked. You narrowed your eyes at him, thinking out your plan for a moment before you were suddenly lunging at him, reaching for his jacket pocket in a swift motion. With one arm securely around his waist, you attempted to slide your other hand into his pocket. Minho was cackling as he pulled at your wrist, his fingers deftly working it away from his pocket before using the position to pull you close to him, his eyes sparkling with amusement. Your breath hitched in your throat as you realized that your faces were now only inches apart as he beamed at you with an unrestrained grin, making you halt. "Nice try, princess, but back off." He whispered. As he spoke, you could feel the gentle whisper of his breath on your lips. It was as if time stood still for a moment before you felt yourself blushing and taking an involuntary step backwards. Minho smiled. "Good girl.. now, let's get you that cat." He approached the dart booth, handed the operator a few dollars, and received a fistful of darts in exchange.

As you watched him throw the darts, you shielded your eyes from the sun's rays. The first dart hit its mark in the center immediately. The man removed it before Minho threw the second dart, also landing it directly in the middle. You raised your eyebrows, impressed. The actions repeated in the same way until all the darts were gone, earning you your chunky, angry cat. As Minho handed you the plush creature, you couldn't help but beam at it with excitement. With a grin spreading across your face, you gently squished its cheeks. "I love him." You cooed, making Minho laugh. "You really think that thing looks like me?" He asked. You looked at him, then back to the plush, smile still on your face. "Absolutely. Grumpy, but undeniably cute." You giggled out. You missed the subtle, yet noticeable pink hue that suddenly seized his entire face while you were fixated on the cat, completely absorbed in your own thoughts. Minho reached out with his hand and ruffled your hair, causing a few strands to fall out of place before he began walking away. "whatever you say". After catching up to him, you kept pace with him and cradled the soft toy against your chest, exuding happiness.

As you walked side by side, you made your way towards an old wooden bridge that stretched across the serene lake. The sun was warm and casting a bright glow over the water as you stepped onto the creaky boards of the bridge. You stopped midway, taking in the breathtaking view around you while listening to the gentle lapping of the waves. "We should take a selfie!" You exclaimed, pulling out your phone. "Sure, princess." He said, leaning against the railing. Capturing a good picture proved to be more challenging than expected, and you found yourself attempting different poses and angles, all while letting out annoyed sighs when they didn't work as planned. This caught the attention of an older woman on the other side of the bridge. "Oh! Let me take a photo for you two!" She said sweetly. "Oh! Thank you so much, ma'am, I'd really appreciate that!" You said with a smile, handing her your phone.

You sat your cat plush nearby and stood next to Minho, your hands clasped behind your back as Minho leaned closer to you. The woman lowered the camera. "Oh come on, I'm sure a lovely couple like you can strike a more romantic pose than that!" She said with a laugh. Your eyes widened as Minho chuckled. "Oh! We're not-" But before you could even complete your thought, Minho was already turning in your direction with lightning speed, enveloping you securely within his strong arms while lifting you off the ground. You gasped, wrapping your arms around his neck for stability. "That's more like it!" she exclaimed excitedly. "Min, what the hell?" you whispered. He huffed out an airy laugh. "Relax, princess. It's just a photo. I won't drop you." You could feel the warmth of his chest against yours, and his breath on your neck, making you flustered yet again. Unwilling to let your flushed face be documented, you angled your head so that your face was out of view of the camera's lens.

The woman snapped the photo and looked at it with a smile as Minho put you back down and lightly stroked your cheek with the tips of his fingers. You were distracted for a moment, unable to break your eye contact with Min before the woman handed your phone back to you. "It came out perfect!" She said with a smile. You snapped back to reality. "Thank you so much, ma'am" you said as you took your phone back. She waved off the praise as she went back to her own business. You and Minho looked at the photo for a moment before you tucked your phone back into your pocket. You were still feeling a bit flustered as Minho threw an arm around your shoulder nonchalantly, pulling you close to him. "Where to next?" He asked you. You shrugged "uh, you wanna get something to drink?" You asked. He nodded "sure thing." He replied. "Any way you'll let me pay this time?" You asked, looking up at him with a playful glare. "No way in hell, baby." You rolled your eyes at his response. "Fine, whatever." He simply laughed at your reply "I love when you're compliant." He purred. You playfully pushed him away, you holding back a grin as he cackled.

You and Minho walked over to the nearby drink stand, scanning the menu board as you waited in line. When it was your turn, you ordered a cherry blossom lemonade for yourself while Minho chose a strawberry cream drink. The two of you sat near the water, swapping drinks every so often as you made conversation and watched the sun set, your shoulders pressed together. You were both laughing at an old college story when a yawn escaped you. You looked at the time on your phone. It was only 9pm, but you were already feeling exhausted from the lack of sleep the night before. The darkness outside seemed to be closing in on you, making your eyelids feel heavy and your body begged for rest. You rested your head on Minho's shoulder momentarily, enjoying the comfort he provided.

"You ready to head back?" He asked you, noticing your sleepy state. You nodded. "Yeah I'm exhausted." You admitted. He stood up, offering you his hand and helping you up. You grabbed your grumpy cat and you both headed to the car, Minho never releasing your hand.

The ride home was spent singing along to a few songs, smiles plastered on your faces. Minho couldn't help but steal a glance at you, his heart skipping a beat as he took in the sight of you happily belting out one of his favorite songs with your eyes closed, completely absorbed in the music. He focused his attention back on the road just as you opened your eyes, completely missing his gaze.

As you finally arrived home and stepped back inside, you were greeted by the chaotic screams of Jisung and Felix, who were fully immersed in Mario Kart. You laughed at them as you passed. "Welcome back, Bug!" Ji called out as you passed by. "Hey, I'm here too, you know." Minho shouted back. "Yeah yeah you too, loverboy." Jisung responded dismissively. You laughed as Minho rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, I'm gonna go hit the shower before I settle. Today was fun." He said, brushing your arm with his finger tips as he walked by. "Okay. Goodnight, Min." You responded softly. "Goodnight, princess."

After arriving back to your room, you put on some comfy clothes and settled onto your bed to catch up with everyone in the group chat.

As you set your phone down next to you, you can't help but think about all that happened today. Suddenly, Minho's smiling face pops into your head. The way he was so close to you all day, his thumb brushing over your lip, his flirty jokes, his arm around your shoulder, his face close to yours.. your face felt hot just thinking about it. No. Stop. You literally can't do this. You promised yourself you never would. Not with any of the boys. You couldn't. You couldn't because you didn't want to risk your friendships and you couldn't because of your job. It was just all out of the question. No matter what your feelings truly were. Besides, Minho didn't feel that way about you, regardless of how much he jokingly flirted with words and actions. His intentions were probably never serious.

As you were running your hands down your face, your phone suddenly buzzed again. Thinking it was likely the group chat, you picked it up to check, but much to your surprise, it turned out be a private message from Minho.

You smiled at the photo. It really was cute.. you wondered what things would be like if Minho wasn't part of your friend group. If he was just a guy you met, maybe in a coffee shop or a bookstore. You didn't let yourself entertain the thought for long, flicking off your lamp and curling into your blankets in a swift motion, almost as if you were trying to escape the notion that had just crossed your mind, you pulled your grumpy cat to your chest and buried your face in it.

MewMin, you decided to name him. He would have to do...

a/n:

Guys I did it. I finished part two 😭 y'all asked for fluff so I did my best to give you fluff!! Please please let me know what you think by commenting, reblogging, or sending me an ask!! Thank you so much for your patience!! I love you!! -Bunny 🐰💕

There is no taglist.

[lillaydee]

Matchmade Part 8

Millionaire! Joel Miller / Reader

Having experienced traumatic, life altering events, a freshly divorced Joel worked to repay his debt to the person he owed his life to.

@peelieblue @feenoire @vickie5446 @liciafonseca

WARNINGS:

Good Parent Joel (The Last of Us), Soft Joel (The Last of Us), Joel Needs a Hug (The Last of Us), Joel Lives (The Last of Us), Protective Joel (The Last of Us), Alternate Universe - No Cordyceps Outbreak (The Last of Us), Character Death, Fluff, Angst, Eventual Smut.

SERIES MASTER LIST

Part 7

---

“What kind of proposition, sir?”

“Please, I thought we’d agreed you would call me Joel, if I’d call you Addie?”

You smiled, mumbling an apology.

“You see, every time I couldn’t pick Sarah up, one of the family members had to do so. They had to rearrange their schedules to accommodate me. They had to get her, make dinner for her, and everything else that comes with taking care of her. They don’t mind, obviously, but it’s getting harder to manage the time for everyone. My brother, Tess, Maria, all work, and my parents are very active in their volunteer work. I would prefer if Sarah has some semblance of stability in her life.”

You listened, wondering where he was going with this.

“I have a guesthouse. Its small, but livable. I propose that you stay there rent free. All I ask in return is that you take Sarah to work with you in the mornings and bring her home when you’re done in the evenings. You will have a permanent address, and I don’t have to worry about arranging for Sarah’s pickup if I have to stay longer after work. What do you think?”

You were dumbfounded. Why would he do this for you? It sounded far too good to be true. But if he was serious, this would help you a lot. You wont need to get another job, and you would have a place to stay, a legal one. You would definitely be able to go back to school earlier than it would be possible right now.

You asked him what your responsibilities would be, apart from taking Sarah to and from the daycare. Nothing, he said. He will take over once the two of you got home. In the event that he had to stay late, he will pay you a babysitting fee to keep an eye on her until he got back. He would order dinner for her if that happened, so you were not even expected to cook for her. You were not his employee. A tenant, more like, in exchange for ferrying his daughter to and from your workplace. You would still work at the daycare, and he would still send Sarah there. The guesthouse will be your home to do as you please, and he and his family will not bother you at all, unless he needed you to babysit, as mentioned.

“What happens when Sarah grows up, or you met someone? I doubt a woman would like you having another woman living in your backyard.”

He barked a laugh. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there, he said, if we ever do.

So, you’ll just have a place to live, and get extra cash for babysitting Sarah for when he had to work late, or go out of town, or had a date - a random thought that made you feel sad all of a sudden.

You couldn’t help it, you immediately said yes.

The smile on his face, the sigh of relief he let go, made you feel warm inside.

“Okay! Erm, you need help packing?”

“What, now?”

He huffed a laugh. “Why not?”

You couldn’t think why not. And to be fair, you were not really keen to find a reason.

So you packed your little suitcase and followed him home in your little car.

**********

Sarah squealed when she saw you, squirming to get away from her Papa, whom you had never met. Jake Miller, he said, holding out a hand for you to shake. Anita, Tess and Maria all greeted you with a hug. They live in the area, they told you. Joel called ahead to let them know you were coming. They’re happy you decided to take the offer. While they love Sarah and would do anything for her, it was getting a bit difficult managing her pickups, especially since they have a big new deal to work on. So, having you doing the pickup would help a lot.  

Your first impression of his home was… humble. You didn’t expect his house to be so… normal? Understated? It’s on the smaller side, considering how much he was worth, not as ostentatious as one might think of a multi-millionaire’s home. And you admired him for that. Even Sarah, being an only child, did not scream spoiled, rich kid to you. And you could understand why, having spent time with his brother, sister in law and best friend for a few days.

The guesthouse was in the backyard, next to the gated pool, again, small, nothing that screams millionaire. It’s basically a studio, but comfortable, livable, as he had said. Sarah wouldn’t leave your side, excited that you would be living with her. Maria came to you the next morning, a contract of tenancy in her hands, stating exactly what he had said – you would be living there, rent free, in exchange for getting his daughter to and from the daycare. Anything beyond, will be subject to an additional fee to be paid directly to you bank account, the fee listed for you to approve.

To say he’s being generous would be an understatement of gigantic proportions. 

You start Monday. He drove you to your storage unit that day, helping you take some of what you needed – you no longer need to live out of a suitcase. By Sunday night, the small guesthouse had been transformed into a small temporary dwelling you can really restart you life from.

You knocked on his patio door Monday morning to get Sarah for daycare. He had given you a key to the house, but you didn’t want to overstep. Sarah opened the door for you, and your senses were immediately overwhelmed by a strong smell of something burning, although there was no smoke.

“Daddy burned the bread,” she said to you, screwing her face, remembering the almost disturbingly dark chocolate colored toast she ate for breakfast that day.

You faux-cringed a bit, laughed, but didn’t comment on anything. You picked up her bag, and said goodbye to him, already dressed for work. He gave Sarah a sloppy kiss and told her he’d see her after daycare.

He helped her get into the booster seat on your back seat and closed the door. He stood there, waiting to wave the two of you off. Of course, your car decided this morning, of all the mornings in the world, to not start until the fifth try.

You actually saw the smile on his face falter. As if he was regretting this arrangement. Now his daughter was stuck to be driven in an unreliable rusty tin can of a car. But no matter, the car started, and off you and Sarah went, your first day in your new life, driving Sarah to the daycare and back.

When you arrived home that day, Joel’s truck was already there. You went around the back to drop Sarah off via the patio door again, easier for you since your new dwelling was in the backyard. The door was already opened, and Joel, still in his work clothes, was at the kitchen sink, draining what looked like overcooked pasta, while the microwave beeped telling you something was done heating. You helped Sarah take her shoes off and placed her bag next to the door. You watched him place the super fluffy pasta onto some bowls and took out a jar of pasta sauce from the microwave, pouring them over the pasta.

Don’t judge, you thought. Shut up. He’s doing the best he could as a busy, single dad. But when you saw him place what looked like boiled frozen meatballs into the bowls, you quickly said goodbye and left before you said anything that could get you kicked out of this sweet new place you just landed. You heard him ask if you would join them for dinner, but the memory of those grey looking meatballs bobbing in the murky looking water in the pot just made you lie saying you have some phone calls to make for work.

Like, really? You were a carer at the daycare. What work phone calls? Sheesh.

You went home and ate the leftover fruit salad you had from the dinner the night before, feeling guilty that you let the two people generous enough to put a roof over your head eat whatever that was that Joel served to his daughter. Stop it. Don’t go all mother hen on them. Sit down. You must have something you needed to do here.

Turned out, you didn’t. Someone had come in while you were out, and your laundry was done, pressed, hung and folded, the whole studio vacuumed, mopped and wiped. Even your sheets had been changed and laundered.

You wanted to feel guilty, feeling as if you got a much better deal out of this arrangement than he did, but you know what? After the shit year you’d had? You’ll take it. The guilt will take over, you knew yourself too well, so you knew it was coming, but for now? You were going to put your feet up and enjoy this opportunity you’d been given. So rather than feel guilty, you switched the TV on, and watched some drag queens get judged instead.

**********

Joel slowly closed Sarah’s door, leaving a crack open so he could hear her if she needed him. He walked back into the kitchen to finish cleaning up, his kitchen sink facing your guesthouse. He could see the lights of whatever you were watching flicker in your darkened home. These past two nights, he had the best sleep. Like the weight had been lifted off his shoulder. He could feel Allie smile at him. He did it, he helped you. He could make sure you were okay now.

He heard your phone ring. Your door opened, and he turned the tap off, not wanting to bother you with your call. He wiped his hands, planning on finishing rinsing the dishes later when he heard you call someone by the name Jimmy. He stilled at that. Did you have someone? Someone named Jimmy? The idea made him want to scream. Oh, crap. What if you brought this Jimmy home? He couldn’t say anything to that. You were not some child who had curfews and rules about not bringing boys home. You were a full grown adult. Oh God, he’d have to endure watching you go out on dates? His heart was already clenching at the idea, what would happen if it came true? He decided he’d heard enough, and just as he was checking that the patio door was locked, he heard you tell this Jimmy you loved him.

Sleep evaded Joel that night.

**********

You hung up with Cece, she had just heard of your new living arrangement and was calling to see if everything was okay. Jimmy hovering as usual, interrupting his beautiful fiancée at every opportunity. You lost count how many times you let out an exasperated ‘Jimmy’, shaking your head at his antics. He had never been able to believe how lucky he was to have found Cece. From the beginning, she had never been intimidated by you, quickly embracing you as a good friend, someone important in his life. And you, you count your lucky stars to have both of them in your life. They were so supportive, always there for you throughout the whole ordeal with Tanya and Allie’s accident. If it weren’t for them…

“Anyway, Julie told me this new landlord of yours is hot. That true?” you could practically see the teasing smile she had on, Jimmy immediately asking “Really? How hot? Is he nice? Is he a serial killer?”

“Jimmy!” you called out, giving up on any privacy in your phone calls with Cece. She always used the speakerphone anyway.

“I need to know, like, is he bigger than me? Can I take him down? Should I bring back up?”

“Goodbye Jimmy.”

Cece laughed out loud, “Go to bed, silly man. Bye Addie. Brunch this weekend? Our treat?”

“Sure. We’ll set it up. Text me. Love you.”

“Love you.”

You thought you heard the patio door rattle. When you looked, all you saw was Joel’s broad back walking away in the dim lights of his house.

**********

You made it three days. Exactly three days. You couldn’t handle it anymore. On Tuesday, Sarah told you she had soft cornflakes for breakfast. He had accidentally poured the hot milk for his bran into her cereal, and didn’t have any more cereal to serve, so he poured the hot milk out onto his bran and replaced it with cold milk. He ordered Tacos for dinner. On Wednesday, he made her pancakes, but burnt one side because he couldn’t find that particular pair of socks she wanted to wear, which turned out to be from a year ago, and she no longer fit into. He ordered Chinese for dinner. They ate the leftovers for breakfast on Thursday, which was not bad, you guessed.

To be fair, he did look flustered. He was doing his best. It was extremely busy time at the office, and imagining the poor little girl eating whatever her hardworking dad served her made you love her more, but oh dear God, you were worried for her. She wasn’t starving, but when you came home on Thursday to him about to open a can of baked beans and sausages, you told him to stop. Come on, Joel. Really.

You folded your sleeves and got to work with what they had in the freezer. Within half an hour, you served the two of them some steaming hot chicken rice porridge with carrots and peas, which Sarah devoured. Joel had three bowls full, and seemed disappointed to see there was none left.

You went to bed feeling guilty. You’re sure you had overstepped. But neither were complaining about it. Fuck it. He’s letting you stay here rent free. The least you could do was make sure they eat well. You had to eat too, right? How could you eat well a few yards away in the beautiful studio when you knew they would be eating from a can?

You made them French Toast for breakfast the next morning and made a list of things you would need for dinner. Joel kept telling you that you didn’t need to do this, all the while stuffing his face with four thick slices of the eggy vanilla-ey goodness. Sarah cleaned her plate, asking if she could have them again tomorrow, receiving a nudge and a head shake from Joel, telling her that tomorrow was Saturday, let’s not bother Miss Addie on Saturday. She nodded and put her head down, looking at you with those delicious puppy dog pleading eyes.

Well. You guessed you’d be making French Toast for breakfast tomorrow. Add berries and maple syrup to the list please.

Just before you got in your car, you turned around and handed him a brown paper bag. He looked at it, a question in his eyes. Your lunch, you told him. He was taken aback. What? Your lunch, you told him again. He didn’t react, just sort of looked at the paper bag, took it, and nodded a thank you, before taking a step back and closing your door for you. He kept staring at you, paper bag in hand, and forgot to wave until you were out of his sight.

He got to his office, his backpack on his right shoulder, the paper bag in his left hand. It was a strange feeling. One he hadn’t had since he was still in school. Carrying food someone made for him to work. He placed the bag on his desk, his secretary taking it to put in the pantry when bringing in his coffee. No, he said, leave it there. But sir, you have a meeting in thirty minutes. You normally don’t like unnecessary items on your desk.

“This is necessary,” he said, his chest puffed up a bit. It’s silly really, but to him, it was proof that someone cared enough about him to make sure he wasn’t hungry for lunch. And that was worth showing off.

Come lunch time, he took out the BLT you had made him, and ate it with the biggest smile on his face.

**********

You were cleaning up after the children had their lunch when Julie came to find you, a sour note to her face. Alice, one of the other staff, had received a phone call at the office, saying that someone matching your description was seen drinking by the back door during lunch. She knew it was bullshit, but she was gonna sniff your breath, just in case. You gave her a resigned look, open your mouth and let her sniff. She rolled her eyes and mouthed a sorry at you. The two of you checked the number on the call log. Just as you expected. Tanya. Both of you just shook your heads. You had told her what she had said to you during the conference, both of you puzzled as to why she was this vindictive towards you.

Julie left with you and Sarah that day. She wanted to stop at the store to get some groceries for dinner. Joel had called to tell you he will be a bit late, and asked if you could order something for Sarah’s dinner. You needed groceries anyway, so you decided to get something you can make for them both. Sarah was sitting merrily in the toddler seat in the cart, when Tanya appeared out of nowhere. She greeted Julie as if they were old friends, Julie’s body stiff with awkwardness when she forced a hug out of her.

She looked at Sarah and raised her eyebrows at you. She gave you a resigned sigh and told you to please have some pride in yourself. Nannying at your age. Sending the girl back to her unsuspecting single father before going back to live in your car. Sheesh Addie, have some dignity.

“She lives with us, not in her car,” Sarah piped up, clearly displeased at Tanya’s attack on you.

Tanya’s eyes snapped back at you, shocked at this little news.

“You live with him?”

You didn’t respond.

“Sheesh Addie. I know you’re desperate but whoring yourself for a roof over your head?” she spat out, before turning on her heels and storming off.

“Oh my God. I cannot stand her. What a bitch!” Julie said, throwing the kitchen towels she had in her hands into the cart.

“What’s a ‘bidge’?” Sarah asked.

Julie cowered under the glare you gifted her.

**********

Joel came home to a house smelling like Bolognese. His mouth immediately watering, his tummy growling. He walked into the kitchen, greeted by the sight of you helping Sarah ball up fresh meatballs, his little girl giggling at the misshapen meatball she had created, you telling her it’s okay, it didn’t need to be perfect, it’ll still be delicious. Sarah then decided she was going to roll the next one in the shape of a sausage instead. She asked you if Daddy would love the meatballs she made for him. Of course he would, you told her. You’re his BabyGirl. He would love anything you made for him.

Joel almost melted at the sight. Yet another thing he had never seen happen in his kitchen between his ex and his daughter.

“Daddy! Look, I make meatballs!”

“Good job, BabyGirl,” he said, giving her a sloppy kiss. He straightened up, consciously forcing himself to stay where he was, and not go around his daughter to give you a kiss too. “You really didn’t need to do this; you’re doing too much.”

“Eh, she has to eat, why not make some for you too? And if there are leftovers, we can freeze the sauce for you to reheat next time. You could bring that for lunch next week. Unless you’d prefer to buy your own lunch? I didn’t even think of that, I’m so sorry if I overstepped,” you offered, suddenly horrified that you had done something that crossed the line. He’s a grown man. Why on earth did you even assume he’d want you to pack his lunch for him?

You were just used to doing that when Allie was still around. Being in a kitchen with people to serve again, you just went on autopilot.

“No, you didn’t. I loved it,” he quickly said. “It’s great not having to decide what to eat for once. I just didn’t want you to feel obliged to do it.”

You seemed to look relieved, nodding you head okay. He eyed the ingredients on the counter, realizing that you had gone shopping. He quickly took the card he had given you last time and told you to use it for groceries. If you’re cooking for Sarah, you shouldn’t have to use your own money for groceries. Please, he said, use it to buy whatever you need too.

You looked hesitant. It’ll save him from making his own list and reimbursing you for them, he said. You agreed after a while.

He went in to shower and change, and when he came out, dinner was served. Two plates of steaming spaghetti Bolognese with misshapen meatballs were waiting for him and Sarah. You sat with them, making sure they had what they needed. He asked why you were not eating too, you told him you were still full. He looked hesitant, but you assured him you were alright.

You didn’t tell him that to you, eating with him and Sarah was something you viewed as extremely intimate. You didn’t want him to think you fancied yourself as one of them, when the reality was, you were just someone he offered his guest house to, in exchange for driving his daughter to daycare.

You watched, satisfied at Sarah’s messy face upon almost face planting into her ‘pesgeti’, asking her Daddy if he liked the meatballs she made for him. He couldn’t even answer, nodding his head, his mouth full of pasta and meat.

This seemed intimate already. You shouldn’t be here. This should be between the two of them. Father and daughter.

Don’t forget yourself, Addie. Never forget yourself.  

---

Part 9

[poly-thot-one-piece-edition]

Phraseology

Fem!Reader/Demon!Sabo/Mythical Beast!Marco >.>

Summary - Urban fantasy vibes. Reader is a smut writer who does an impromptu book signing at The Archive, an old as balls library that the city has grown up around. The decision changes her life, and shenanigans ensue.

CW: Canon levels of violence, lots of sex, Sabo likes to watch, Marco likes to make reader sing. I'll add details as they come along but right now that's the best I got for you.

@mfreedomstuff

Chapter 1: Book Signing

Nerves twist your stomach as you stood outside the doors to the old library. The Grandline Mystoria Historical and Linguistic Archive, more commonly called The Archive, was an old library. The city had effectively grown up around it over the centuries, but you were pretty sure it pre-dated the void century. There was a school field trip that had brought you here once before, but otherwise you hadn’t been back.

You were here now because your friends, the same ones who had nearly shoved you into publishing your writing in the first place, had suggested it as a good location for a book signing.

A book signing for a vanity press seemed silly, but you had put everything you had into it, and so had your friends. They helped you fund-raise for the cover art, and even gifted you the funds needed for a full and proper editor. The only thing your book lacked at this point was the backing of an agency’s marketing tools.

But you weren’t trying to make this your full time job, at least you didn’t think so, you had just wanted to put your words to paper and hold them in your hands. Even if it was just once.

The Archive was solid neutral ground, however, and as you stepped inside you could feel yourself relaxing. Something about the smell of old books, and the way the city was immediately muted when the door closed and set you at ease. This wasn’t the hustle and bustle of the Grandline Metro, this was the calm stillness of a safe space.

Perfect for you and a dozen of your friends and family to use to satisfy your little fantasy.

Stone walls and floors, heavy and immovable wooden shelves that seemed almost melded into the stone work, it was little wonder this building had stood the test of time. It felt as sturdy and inevitable as a mountain, though at a mere three stories, it was hardly as tall as one. Seeing signs set up guiding people toward your book signing, beginning at 2pm this afternoon, made your stomach knot a little bit again, but not so much you couldn’t push it aside.

You had no idea what kind of traffic The Archive received on a daily basis. You only know that the gentleman who helped you set everything up over the phone a couple weeks ago, had recommended the time. His voice had been relaxing, and it was so easy to talk to him you’d thought the library must host book signings every other day.

Drawing closer to the location of where you were going to sit, you notice copies of your book set in view around the area, neat hand-writing on small cards reminding visitors about the date and time of the book signing. You’d only sent the books a few days prior, but you were getting nervous about how many people might end up showing up.

You hadn’t expected any advertising, and you’d almost picked a local bar because you figured at the very least you could have some drinks and hang out with your friends if nothing else. It would be much easier to accept a lack of interest with a few drinks and some socializing.

The table where you’re meant to sit has a few more well-written signs on it, with a couple small stacks of books. The side shelves of the racks nearby had more copies of your book. It was a little embarrassing in the end, but a young man fussing with one of the displays catches your attention.

Wavy blonde hair falls down loosely, almost like inverted fire swirling around his neck, but not quite reaching his shoulders. He looks over-dressed; suit, vest, jacket, and matching shoes. They fit him well, the white suit is clearly tailored, and impressively crisp and clean. Blues and golds accent it, but nothing overtakes the snow white fabric, even his shoes are unmarred and a soft snow white.

He turns toward you, red - wait - blue eyes taking you in with a charming smile on his lips. His face is scarred over his left eye, slipping beneath the loose mop of hair and under his collar. Compared to the rest of him it’s barely noticeable, and you find yourself smiling back at him.

There’s a beat of awkward silence, but he breaks it easily.

“Ah, may I help you find anything?” He offers and you can’t stop a nervous chuckle.

“I’m (Y/N),” You reply, holding out your hand. “Here to sign the books.”

His face brightens, and he shakes your hand. The leather of the glove is warm and supple, if not for the seams against your fingers you might not have realized he was wearing them.

“The lady of the hour, perfect!” He turns toward the table with the books on it and you shift that way as well. “We have everything set up for you and ready to go. The head librarian organized the majority of it as we don’t often host something like this, but if there’s anything you need please let me know.”

He grabs his top hat from the nearby shelf and puts it over his heart before bowing deeply. “Sabo of Goa, at your service. I’m merely the sponsor of this fine old building, but it is always my pleasure to lend a hand when I can.” When he straightens back up he puts the top hat on, leaning on a black cane you hadn’t even noticed before now.

“Well, thank you for all of this.” You say, walking over to the table. “It’s more than I expected and I’m… a little overwhelmed, but very grateful.”

“Certainly. I can fetch some water if you like, or perhaps a different style of pen.” He offers, looking down to see a few simple disposable pens laid out.

“Oh no, I…” You reach into your shoulder bag, rummaging around for a moment before holding up a couple pens. “Brought my own. I thought if I ended up signing more than I expected I should make sure the pen’s comfortable.”

“Are those Alabastian fountain pens?”

“Huh? Yes, actually. I’ve never had someone recognize them before.” You admit, holding one out to him. “My mom gave them to me a few years ago when I turned eighteen. I’ve heard they’re expensive, but I’ve never looked up how expensive. I didn’t want to get scared away from using them.”

“Well, value is often found in the use, not the cost.” He replies, handing the pen back, a soft smile on his face. “I think it’s wise to decide to use them and not worry about anything else.”

Sabo chats with you for a few more minutes until your friends arrive, and then excuses himself quietly. You and your friends gush about The Archive and how cool it is. How old it must be, how interesting the old books must be.

You sign and chat for a couple hours, surprised at the number of people who you don’t know that come through and buy a copy, asking you to sign it for them. Some ask for a synopsis, some for just a one-liner. A surprising number of people buy it as a gift for someone else, and two people you end up talking out of buying a copy, because they didn’t realize how graphic it was going to be.

If you knew how many strangers you were going to have say the phrase “it’s a monster fucker romance” to, you might not have agreed to the signing. You were certain your face was lighting up like a christmas tree, every time you had to explain things with as straight a face as you could desperately maintain. Fortunately, your friends sang some of the praises for you, talking at length about other stories they’d read, and what they liked from yours.

It wasn’t nearly as horrifying as you were worried it was going to be, and by the end of the entire thing you’d sold almost every copy you’d brought with you. Taking off the cost of buying the books yourself, you’d still made a profit by the end of it.

Taking a drink of water after the last of the customers and your friends left, you froze, and looked down at the glass you’d so casually drank from. Your eyes shifted to the nearly empty glass pitcher nearby and your brow furrows.

When had someone brought over water? Why were you drinking it so casually? You don’t even remember asking for water or telling anyone you were thirsty. You hadn’t seen Sabo, or any other library employee during the signing, and while you’d been too distracted by friends and such to think on it earlier, now it was sticking in your head.

There had to be extensive staff here, the place was sizable. Three floors aside it commanded most of the city block it was on, with stalls and stores crowding around it, but nothing was going to dominate the space quite like the Archive itself. It would take ten people just to keep everything cataloged at the bare minimum.

You were starting to think the place might have it’s own magic, like the old fairy tales about how places that exist for long times get their own souls, or faeries move in, tending to the dust and keeping things organized. The mental image of Sabo being harassed by faeries makes you smile, just because the idea of him running after his hat while it floats away is harmless enough.

“It’s good to see a smile on your face.” Sabo says, nearly causing you to leap out of your skin. He smiles, and you’re certain there’s mischievousness at the corners of his mouth, but he doesn’t tease you further. Instead he holds out a copy of your book. “I read it during the signing, and I was hoping you were up for signing one more copy?”

“I - you - that’s - I mean… S-sure.” You stammer, taking the book from him. “I didn’t expect something like this to be up your alley.”

“Oh?” He hums and you wonder what you could possibly say. “The world building was solid, and the way you wove in history lessons for the reader without making them feel like a history lesson, was a testament to your skill at story-telling.” He grins when you look up at him, still unsure of how to sign the copy.

“The build up to the sex scenes was just as good as the concupiscence feelings they elicited. Your pacing made the emotional shifts feel quite natural.” He says it so easily you’re almost more embarrassed by the praise. “What really came through, however, was that you were having fun, and I find I appreciated that deeply.”

Grinning, you chuckle a little and look back down at the book, signing it easily. “Thank you for appreciating my joy,” you say as you write the words inside the cover, signing your name easily beneath that. You keep the cover open for a moment, giving the ink time to dry. “That was very kind praise, thank you.”

“I would say it was the least I could do, but, I was hoping to offer you something more.” Sabo says the words with the same ease as before, gloved fingers barely grazing yours as he pulls the book away. He seems to scrutinize the dryness of the ink for a second before closing it in satisfaction.

You tilt your head, brow furrowing slightly. He couldn’t possibly be hitting on you, right? He was handsome, and probably your age, and certainly he’d enjoyed your book, but he looked like he was a dozen tax brackets above your wildest dreams.

“I -.” You aren’t really sure what to say and he clarifies for you.

“I spoke with the head librarian briefly, but we’d like to offer you use of the Archive if you’d like. If you wanted to pursue a career in writing, we would be willing to help you. There are resources for finding an agent, publisher, and all of that rot.” He waves his hand, clearly unconcerned about the details. “There’s no pressure of course, but having read an innumerable number of books, I can say that I think it would be good for you to give it a try, if you so desire.”

“For… smut?”

You can clearly see amusement in his smile, but then it shifts to something more genuine. “Smut is but a small portion of the story you wrote, was it not? The descriptions, the world itself, and the struggles and joys of the characters within. You had nearly eight thousand words in that book, not counting the three pages of thanks, and of that a little over a tenth was smut. Even then there was emotion and story within the… sheets.” He grins, tapping your forehead lightly with the book itself.

“So no, not for smut, but also yes. Because the inclusion of it shouldn’t be given room to diminish the rest.”

“… I really don’t know what to say.” You admit sheepishly.

“Then for now, say nothing. Sleep on it, a day or two, or even a week if needed.” He offers. “There’s no need to rush such a decision. You’re also welcome to come back tomorrow and discuss the details with Marco and go from there if you’d like. He has a much better head for that stuff than I do, and the extra insight could help you make a decision.” Sabo assures you. “He set up most of this on his own, and sadly only left the sign making to me.”

“Perhaps wisely,” he muses with an easy smile after a moment’s pause. Something in his tone or movement relaxes you, and the fret that had been building over the idea of becoming a full-time, actual professional author fades.

“I can do that,” you agree, turning your attention back to packing away what few books you still had left. “Come back tomorrow and talk with him, I mean.”

“Mm,” Sabo hums happily, watching you for a second longer before speaking up again.

“Do you want to donate the few copies you have left to the library?” You pause at the question and look back up him. “I could buy them, if it wouldn’t make you uncomfortable, but you can donate them. We have half-a-stack for Sora Norberts novels, we can certainly keep a couple of these in stock without issue.” The look on his face leaves you with an impression that he’s not exactly a fan of Mrs. Norberts novels.

“I, yeah, actually. If I could donate them, that would be great. I’ve already given copies to everyone I know that would’ve been interested, so I wasn’t really sure what I was going to do with these anyway.” You admit honestly. “Thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure, I assure you.” He replies smoothly, walking with you to the front of the library.

You notice people milling about in the library, but no one looks at Sabo as you’d expect them too. His presence is striking, in contrast with the dark work and muted stones of the library, clean and while not bright, certainly brighter than his surroundings. The cane and top hat alone stood out against the more relaxed fashion of most of the city. It seemed rude to point it out, and maybe those who regularly visited the Archive were simply used to him.

Or maybe he-.

“Is everything okay?” Sabo prompts and you shake your head, scattering the odd thoughts that you were losing yourself to.

“Huh? Oh, yes. Everything is good. Sorry, I think I zoned out a little.” You give him an apologetic look. “This old library pulls me in and I think my mind gets a little too creative.”

“Not such a bad thing if you’re going to use it to help you write.” He offers with a smile. “Ah, that came out with more pressure than I intended. I’m merely excited at the idea, forgive me.”

You return his smile as you step back out into the city. “Certainly, and thank you again for letting me have a book signing here.”

He lowers his head in a slight bow, giving you a wink as the door closes. For a split second you swear you see something change, but you can’t even hold onto it enough to wonder what would’ve caused it. Despite your strange thoughts, you leave the Archive feeling light and good. The book signing went well, and your conversation with Sabo was an exciting prospect.

Tomorrow you’ll meet the head librarian and find out what’s involved in making the transition from where you are, to where you think you might want to be.